What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist
by PrincessSerenity1976
Summary: What if after the fight with Beryl everyone kept their memories, except Serena. Now the Dark Moon is attacking, and Serena has no idea that she is Sailor Moon. She's too busy with her new boyfriend anyway. And who's this strange kid? Dare X Sere X Diamond
1. A New Day Dawns

**A/N** All right. This is one of my old stories that I went through and edited. I wrote this probably a few years ago, so if anyone has been reading my other story, you might see a difference in the writing style, but nothing too drastic. I have changed some things around in this story as well. All of the scouts along with Darien and Andrew go to the same high school together. The girls are all 16 and sophomores while the guys are 17 and juniors. This will be a Sere x Dare story, but there will also be some Sere x Diamond action too. This is just my crazy version of what I picture if after the fight with Beryl, everyone except Serena kept their memories.

Oh and to the readers of Lunar Princess, I may have hit a little hiccup with my com crashing and all, but it is coming back to life, never fear. I am working as fast as I can to get it back on track. But I hope you like this story too.

_**ENJOY!!!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 1

A New Day Dawns

**D Point**

The cold arctic air blew across the frozen, barren landscape. The area seemed to be totally uninhabited. No sound was to be heard except for the howling of the brutal winds. Suddenly the ground shook as a bright flash of light lit up the northern horizon.

At the center of this brilliant light show was a fierce battle between good and evil. A sinister looking woman standing nearly twenty stories tall was directing dark energy at a small girl in a white dress who held a wand in her hand and was trying to deflect the attack with her own silver energy.

It seemed that the battle was in favor of the dark witch and she was about to overtake her opponent when the young girl suddenly called out, "Please my friends, I need your help. I can't do this alone."

Five shadowy figures suddenly appeared behind the girl. The four smaller ones went to each side of the girl and laid their ghostly hands on top of hers on the wand. The remaining taller figure came up behind her and placed its hands on her shoulders.

Several calls were heard over the crackling of energy.

"Mercury Power"

"Mars Power"

"Jupiter Power"

"Venus Power"

The power of the four planets flowed into the crystal set in the wand and intensified its energy. The girl felt the power of Earth flow through her from the figure behind her and heard his voice say, "You can do this Serenity. And remember, I'm always here for you."

Taking a deep breath, she focused all that energy together and released it in a mighty blast toward her nemesis. The evil being was completely swallowed up by the attack and was destroyed.

The white dress faded from the girl's form to be replaced by a sailor fuku, and then changed into a school uniform as she collapsed. Drained of her life force, she was barely able to whisper, "Thank you everyone. I wish I could have had a normal life this time, but I wouldn't trade you guys for the world."

The crystal flared to life in a burst of pink light as it covered the landscape. As it traveled, it encompassed a raven-haired girl in a red fuku, a blonde in an orange fuku, a blunette in a blue fuku, and a brunette in a green one.

The light then penetrated down into an underground cavern where it also covered a black haired young man in navy blue armor and a black cape with red lining.

When the light faded, all six bodies were gone.

* * *

**Tokyo-The next morning**

Ilene Tsukino was setting breakfast on the table when her daughter Serena walked in dressed in her school uniform. She was so startled to see her daughter out of bed on time that she knocked over a glass of orange juice.

"Wow mom, are you okay? You look freaked." Serena asked her mother.

Ilene stammered. "Y..yes honey, I'm fine. I just surprised to see you up and around so early."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Well school does start at 8:00, and I wouldn't want to be late. What did you expect me to do, lay in bed until 7:45 and then have to dash to school at the last moment?"

'_Well that's what you've been doing for the last three months.' _Ilene thought to herself, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Up until three months ago Serena had been a decent student. She wasn't genius level, but she had brought home good grades. She never had any trouble getting up in the morning either.

Suddenly one day that had all changed. Her grades began falling and she seemed to be exhausted all the time. At first her parents had been concerned that it was her new friends that she had started hanging around with influencing her, but they all seemed to be nice girls that seemed to do well at school. So Ilene and Ken had decided it must just be a phase that Serena was going through. Thankfully, maybe that was over.

Ken walked into the kitchen, straightening his tie, and came to a complete stop at the sight of Serena sitting at the table eating her breakfast. He shot a questioning look at his wife, who shook her head as a warning not to say anything.

"Good morning." he said, taking his seat at the table.

Serena looked up and smiled. "Morning dad."

Sharing another confused look with his wife, he took a sip of his coffee.

Ilene walked over to the door to holler up the stairs. "Sammy! You better get down here soon, or you won't have time to eat."

Thumping sounds came from upstairs before a lanky preteen boy with shaggy, sandy blonde hair appeared at the top of the staircase.

"I'm up, I'm up." he grumbled "Why aren't you yelling at that idiot Serena this morning? She's the lazy one."

His jaw dropped as he heard his sister's voice come from the kitchen. "Speak for yourself you little maggot. I've been up for a while. Well I'm off. I want to get to school early and see if they have a book in the library to help me on my biology report."

With that, Serena picked up her book bag and her lunch her mother had packed her before walking to the door and slipping on her shoes. She waved goodbye to her family and closed the door behind her.

There was a stunned silence for at least thirty seconds after she departed.

Ken shook his head. "She didn't run screaming out the door."

"She remembered her lunch." Ilene whispered.

Sammy was dumbfounded. "Serena…in the library…No way!"

They all looked at each other as if to ask, _'What the hell just happened?'_

* * *

That same morning, at almost the exact same time that Serena was leaving the house, four other girls jumped awake, surprised to find themselves obviously alive and safe in their own beds.

They all sat stunned for a few moments, reliving the last things that they remembered. They had been at D Point, battling the doom and gloom girls, trying to clear the way for their princess to go forward to challenge Beryl. They had all fallen one by one until Sailor Moon had been the only one left.

_'Sailor Moon'_

'_Princess Serenity'_

_'Serena'_

They all flew from their beds at those thoughts, anxious to find the others and their princess and make sure she was all right. Apparently she must have won the battle, or they wouldn't be here. But had she survived? And what of Prince Endymion, had she freed him from Beryl's evil clutches.

Pajamas were quickly exchanged for school uniforms and the fours girls left their homes with only one destination in mind. Serena's house.

* * *

Darien jerked upright in his bed, sweat covering his body. He felt like he had been asleep for a very long time. He had confusing images running through his head. Him kneeling at Beryl's side, him holding a sword over Sailor Moon's head, about to strike a fatal blow. He also could picture the same girl on her knees in front of him, her blue eyes wide and pleading as she held a locket out to him, begging him to come back to her.

Then came the memory of the giant crystal being hurled at them, and the remembered pain of shards of that crystal embedding themselves in his back after he had shattered it with a well aimed rose. He had thrown himself over the girl to protect her from the flying debris and had taken the brunt of the hit.

He remembered lying there, feeling the life drain out of him as he was wrapped in those warm arms. He could even hear her voice speaking to him.

_'Please Darien, you can't leave me too. The girls are all gone, and I'm afraid to do this all alone.'_

He had felt her tears on his face and had opened his eyes to look into the watery, cerulean depths of her eyes before saying, _'You can finish this. Beat Beryl and then you can go back to living your own life again. Drink all the milkshakes you want and find a cool boyfriend. You won't have to deal with me picking on you anymore.'_

Then he was sinking into darkness. The last thing he remembered was her shaking voice. _'But I don't want anyone else Darien. I love you.'_

His head shot up. "Serena"

He ran to his closet and threw it open. He grabbed a clean uniform and hastily dressed before grabbing his bag and running out his apartment door.

He hit the sidewalk at a dead run, ignoring the looks that he was getting from other people who were making their morning commute. He still wasn't sure what was happening and how he was alive and back home, but every nerve in his body right now was screaming that he needed to see Serena for himself and make sure she was okay.

He made it to Serena's neighborhood somehow without causing injury to the other pedestrians and headed for the white, two story house on the corner. He was brought to a halt as he reached the front gate and collided with several other bodies. They all landed in a tangled heap on the ground.

It took a few minutes for everyone to right themselves, and when they did they stared at each other in complete shock. The four girls were silent for a moment before they all spoke at once.

"Raye"

"Mina"

"Lita"

"Amy"

"Oh my gosh!"

Suddenly they were all hugging each other and squealing loud enough to shatter glass. Darien clapped his hands over his ears to preserve his eardrums from damage. He waited a few moments for the decibel level to drop a bit before clearing his throat to get their attention.

Four wide-eyed stares turned in his direction. No one said a word for several seconds. Darien was beginning to feel a little self conscious under their scrutiny until Raye finally broke the silence.

"Darien, is that really you?" she asked quietly.

Darien shook his head. "Of course it's me. Who else would I be?"

Lita stepped forward cracking her knuckles. "Oh I don't know. Maybe the same brainwashed negaverse creep that's been trying to kill us for the last two weeks." She took a swing at him and he dodged it quickly.

Mina grabbed Lita's arm before she could aim another punch. "Wait Lita, I think that's really Darien."

"She's right." Amy had pulled out her Mercury computer and was scanning him. "All traces of dark energy have disappeared from his body."

"Well this is a fun reunion and all, but I want to find Serena and make sure she's okay. Then maybe we can figure out what happened." Darien said.

"Right" they all agreed, making their way up to the Tsukino's front door. Ilene answered a few moments after the doorbell had been rung and smiled at her daughter's friends.

"Good morning" she greeted them. "If you're here to walk to school with Serena, I'm afraid you're out of luck this morning."

"Oh" Amy replied. "Is she not feeling well today?"

Ilene giggled. "Oh no, quite the opposite actually. She got up and left early this morning. She said she had to go to the library before class. Amazing isn't it? She hasn't shown any interest in her school work in three months."

"Yeah amazing" they all echoed. They made their goodbyes and began walking down the street toward the school.

"You don't think she's actually at school, do you?" Mina asked.

Raye snorted. "Meatball Head? Come on. She wouldn't know what to do with a book if she had one."

"That's kind of unfair." Amy replied.

"Well Serena and studying don't exactly mix, do they?" was Lita's response.

Darien had been quiet through this debate, but now he asked, "What exactly happened to you guys yesterday? I'm assuming Serena won, but seeing how I was dead at the time, I'm not sure what happened."

They all spent the rest of the walk to school talking about the events of the battle against Beryl, at least the part that they knew. When they reached the gates of the school, they all began looking around for that familiar golden head with an odango hairstyle.

After searching for several minutes, they were still unable to locate her.

Mina sighed. "You don't think she gone to our places looking for us do you?"

"It's possible." Amy said.

Raye scowled. "That would be just like her. Her running around in circles looking for us while we're running around in circles looking for her."

Lita laughed. "Yeah, sounds like a classic Serena move to me."

Darien suddenly became aware of a slight magnetic pull that was urging him toward the library. It was similar to the feeling he got when he sensed Serena transforming into Sailor Moon. It was how he always knew where to find her.

He began walking away from the group.

"Hey, where are you going?" Raye hollered after him, but he ignored it and continued toward the library. He was vaguely aware of the others following him.

He entered the building and allowed the pull to direct him to a back corner of the room. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the blonde head bent over a book.

"I don't believe it." Raye muttered next to him. "Meatball Head is actually studying."

"I guess miracles do happen sometimes." Lita whispered with a grin.

Serena rose from the table where she was sitting and replaced the book on a shelf before gathering her things together and putting them back in her bag.

Amy spoke quietly. "Perhaps we should wait for her outside. This might not be the best place for our conversation."

They all agreed and went back outside to wait for Serena. A few minutes later she emerged from the library and began heading for the main school building.

"Serena" Mina shrieked as she ran over and threw herself on the petite blonde.

The other girls were right behind her, and soon Serena was lost in the middle of a large group hug.

Serena laughingly extracted herself from her friends. "Hey guys, what gives? You act like you haven't seen me in years. I may not be genius material, but I'm pretty sure we saw each other yesterday."

Raye had tears in her eyes. "Don't play that dumb blonde routine now. What the hell happened yesterday?"

Serena blinked her large blue eyes several times. "Yesterday? I don't know. What did happen yesterday? It was an ordinary day as far as I can remember."

"What?!" came their unified response.

"Well yeah." she said. "We came to school, went to the arcade for milkshakes, and went to Raye's and studied for a while. Then I went home, had dinner, finished my homework and went to bed. Sounds pretty typical to me."

Mina began babbling. "You mean you don't remember freezing your ass off in the Arctic Circle and fighting off the bad guys and saving the world with the power of the silver crystal?"

Serena laid a hand on Mina's forehead. "Are you feeling okay? I mean I know I play a lot of video games, but I think they've gone to your head."

"You mean you don't remember anything about the negaverse or the sailor scouts?" Amy questioned.

Serena's brow wrinkled in thought. "Negaverse…" she mumbled, "no nothing. Now the sailor scouts I do know. They're that group of girl super heroes that have been running around the last few months." She giggled. "I like their outfits. My dad would have a stroke if I wore a skirt that short."

She suddenly stilled as she saw who was standing behind her friends and listening to their conversation. Everyone looked back and forth between the two, anticipating what this meeting would be like.

After several moments of silence, Serena walked up to Darien. He held his breath as he looked into her emotionless blue eyes. He couldn't read by her face what she was feeling. He hoped that seeing him would snap her out of this dream world she seemed to be in at the moment.

That hope was shattered as she poked him in the chest and began yelling at him. "What are you doing listening in on our private conversation, you jerk? I can't say I'm surprised though. It seems to be your ambition in life to make my existence a living hell. Well, I'm not putting up with it anymore."

Darien took a step back at this unexpected attack. He raised his hands in surrender. "Hey Serena…"

"Oh, so now you know my name!" she interrupted him. "After months and months of putting up with your 'meatball head' and 'klutz' comments, you finally figured out what my name really is. Well screw you Darien Shields!"

Darien felt a physical ache in his chest as he heard the pain filled words fall from the same lips that less than twenty four hours before had professed her love for him. He knew that he had been horrible to Serena in the past. He wasn't one to confront his feelings, and picking on her had been his way of dealing with the emotions the tiny blonde stirred up in him.

He was staring at her, trying to think of what he could say to her. It was obvious that she didn't remember any of their time together, in their alter ego forms anyway. Hell, she didn't even remember that she was Sailor Moon, much less that he was Tuxedo Mask. And the fact that she was a reincarnated moon princess and that he was her prince would probably send her on a downward spiral right now. He brought his attention back to her as she began speaking again.

"You know, I've never understood why you have such a problem with me. Is it just because I don't bow down and kiss your feet like everyone else, or did you just randomly pick me out of a crowd and think it would be fun to get your rocks off by being a dick to me?"

She was in a high temper now. She was visibly shaking and tears of anger were flowing freely down her flushed cheeks. Darien's heart broke at the sight of her tortured eyes. Without thinking he stepped forward and took her in his arms.

She let out a small gasp before she fainted dead away. Darien carried her unconscious form over and laid her out on a bench as the others crowded around.

"Amy, what's wrong with her?" he demanded as the blunette took out her mercury computer and began scanning her.

"She seems fine." Amy responded. "I think she just passed out. What I can't figure out is why she can't remember anything about the scouts or the moon kingdom. It just doesn't make any sense."

A voice came from a nearby tree. "I may have the answer to that."

Two cats jumped down from a branch to land next to the group.

"Artemis, Luna, you know what's wrong with her?" Mina asked.

"We believe so." Luna replied. "Now bring her with you and let's go to the control room. There's something you need to see."

Luckily it was still early, so the school grounds were fairly empty. That was a plus since it would have looked suspicious for six students to be sneaking off campus. Especially when one of them was a passed out girl being carried by a male upperclassman.

Sticking to the back streets, they were able to make it to the back door of the arcade in just a matter of minutes without raising any eyebrows along the way. Darien's best friend's family owned the arcade, and Andrew had been clued in to the secret identities of the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask for a while.

Thankfully he had left the door cracked open for them and they slipped right in, heading straight for the hidden entrance to the control room that was located under the arcade.

"Hey guys" Andrew greeted them. "Glad to see you made it back in one piece, and you even drug my pathetic best friend back from the dark side."

His smile faded however when he saw Serena's limp form in Darien's arms. "What happened to Sere?"

Darien shook his head. "We're not sure Drew. She was acting strange this morning. Well actually she was yelling at me, and then she passed out. Luna and Artemis think they might have a clue as to what happened."

Andrew was shocked. "Serena was yelling at you. I know you guys have a history of getting on each other's nerves, but she was really messed up when you disappeared. She moped around for days and wouldn't crack a smile. She even passed on free milkshakes. So I can't imagine her going off on you after she literally went to the ends of the earth to bring you back."

They had all made it downstairs now and Darien laid Serena on a couch before turning pain filled eyes on his friend. "She doesn't remember me." he whispered.

"What!" Andrew exclaimed.

Darien nodded. "All she remembers of me is my picking on her and our fights. She doesn't remember being Sailor Moon or anything about the scouts."

"Wow" Andrew said softly. "What happened to make her forget all that?"

Luna spoke up. "That's what we're going to show you now." She went over to a bag and retrieved a round object from it. They all gasped when they realized that it was Serena broach that she used to transform into Sailor Moon. Luna pressed the release button and it opened with a snap.

Nestled inside was the Silver Crystal. In it's dormant state, it looked like any other crystal. But this crystal held an unbelievable power that had been passed down through the moon kingdom for generations. As the reincarnation of Princess Serenity, it's power now belonged to Serena.

"Luna where did you get that?" Mina asked.

"Let me tell you my story." Luna replied. "Late last night Sailor Moon came crawling through her bedroom window. She was barely able to stand she was so exhausted. I asked her what had happened and she said Beryl was destroyed. When I asked her if everyone else was okay, she just smiled and said 'They'll all be fine.' Then she removed the broach and collapsed on the bed.

Then this morning when she woke up I tried to question her again. Well she freaked out over the fact that I'm a talking cat. She couldn't remember anything at all about fighting the negaverse. I thought that perhaps Beryl had done something to her to erase her memories, so I tried the Luna mind meld. Well that was a big mistake. She looked like she was close to having a nervous breakdown, so I reversed it and left her alone.

She got up and left for school and I noticed that she had left the crystal behind. Well I didn't want to leave it just lying around, so I brought it with me.

"Good call, Luna." Mina said as she took the broach. Walking over to the still form lying on the sofa, she pinned it to the bow on her shirt. "She may not be aware of what the crystal is, but she needs to keep it with her."

"So what do you think happened to make her like this?" Amy asked Luna.

Luna shook her head. "It would be easier for me to show you. When I tried to revive her memories, something was shielding her mind. The mind meld backfired and I actually saw her memories of her fight with Beryl. So any of you that want to see, come over here and I will do a mind meld and show you what I saw."

With the exception of Andrew, they all scrambled to take a place in front of the black feline, anxious to see how the princess had beaten the queen of the Negaverse.

Luna's crescent mark on her forehead glowed brightly as beams of light shot from it to touch each one of the teenagers in front of her. They all closed their eyes to focus on what they were seeing in their minds.

The picture was slightly fuzzy at first, but soon they could see the figure of a giant Beryl towering in front of them. They could hear her booming voice as it sneered down.

"Pitiful little moon princess. Do you honestly think you can beat me? Your mother failed before, and now you will too."

Beryl gathered dark energy and sent a blast toward them. They saw small, slender hands raise the crescent moon wand, the Silver Crystal set firmly in its place. Serenity's voice rang strong and true as she called out, "Cosmic Moon Power"

The crystal began to glow, and a beam of light energy shot forth, battling with Beryl's dark attack.

They watched the power struggle between the moon princess and the evil Beryl that lasted several minutes. The princess was losing ground fast, and it seemed hopeless for Serenity until they heard her voice pleading to them for help.

The blue power of Mercury, the red of Mars, the green of Jupiter, and the orange of Venus seemed to converge on the crystal, strengthening it. Then the golden glow of the power of Earth seemed to pass through her body as she sent the final assault against Beryl, vaporizing her in an instant.

They felt her exhaustion as Serenity turned into Sailor Moon and then finally into Serena as she fell to the ground. They opened tear filled eyes as her whispered wish echoed in their heads.

Nothing was heard for a few minutes except for the muffled sobs of the girls. Darien sat there thinking over everything he had just seen. She had fought with her very life to protect this planet and everyone living on it. She was just a sixteen-year-old girl, but was willing to give up everything to save the world. If anyone had a right to a normal life, it was her.

Amy wiped the tears from her eyes. "So the crystal granted her wish?" she asked.

Artemis nodded. "It would appear that way. She wanted a normal life, so it erased everything to do with the negaverse and the moon kingdom from her memories, but she valued your friendship, so it allowed her to remember you."

"Well what can we do to change that?" Raye asked. "I mean if another enemy attacks, we may need her and the crystal."

"No" Mina stated. "We are her guard. We will take care of any threats that come our way."

Lita pounded one fist against her other palm. "Right, we're not the sailor scouts for nothing."

Amy had her computer out again and was scanning both Serena and the crystal. "It seems that the crystal didn't erase the memories. They're just blocked. I have a feeling that if we need her, Sailor Moon will rise again."

"So what do we do with her now?" Raye asked. "If she wakes up here she'll be totally freaked."

Darien stood and crossed over to where his sleeping princess lay. He bent down and picked her up again. "I'm going to take her home. I'll tell her mother that she started feeling sick and then fainted. That way when she wakes up she'll be in a familiar place."

The rest of them stood also. It was still early enough to make it to school if they hurried. They all left the arcade and split up. The girls and Andrew all headed toward the high school, while Darien cradled his precious bundle in his arms as he headed for her house.

Each of the girls glanced back several times as they watched the reincarnated earth prince with the princess.

Lita sighed. "Do you think things will work out between them?"

Mina laughed. "Of course they will. I'm the goddess of love remember. Those two can fight it all they want, but they are soul mates."

"I don't think Darien was fighting it too hard." Amy giggled. "Did you see the way he was looking at her?"

"Yeah" they all collectively sighed.

Raye grumbled. "Well that scattered brained meatball head better wake up and realize that he loves her before some other girl comes along and snatches him up."

"Someone like you?" Lita asked slyly.

Mina perked up. "Yeah, didn't I hear that the two of you went out for a while?"

Raye shook her head violently. "No, we just went out a couple of times. It was nothing romantic." she paused for a moment. "Even though he is sinfully gorgeous. But he loves Serena, and I would never intrude on that."

"We know that Raye." Amy joined in the conversation. "Anyway, you have someone waiting for you to notice them too."

"What?…Who?…" Raye asked confused.

"Chad" the other three girls announced with knowing grins.

"Ewww" Raye screeched. "As if! He's just a friend."

Mina giggled. "If you say so."

* * *

**In the future**

Inside a massive palace that looked as if it were carved out a giant piece of black crystal, a young man sat on a throne. He had long silvery white hair and striking lavender eyes.

He idly swirled a glass of red wine in his hand as he intently studied the image that appeared in a large crystal in front of him. His grip on the glass tightened as he saw the dark haired teenage boy walking down the street with the unconscious blonde in his arms.

In a fit of rage, he hurled the glass across the room where it shattered against the crystal wall. Tiny fragments of glass littered the floor and the remnants of the wine ran down the wall to pool like blood as it reached the bottom.

"Sapphire" he called out in a commanding voice.

A dark haired young man entered the room. "Yes, my brother."

"How are we progressing on getting into the Crystal Palace? I grow weary of this waiting." he demanded.

Sapphire met his brother's gaze. "Diamond, I won't lie to you. We have little chance of making it into the palace. It's true that the king and queen are both incapacitated at the moment, but the sailor scouts have erected a barrier that is virtually impenetrable."

Diamond growled. "This wouldn't have happened if my orders had been followed. The queen was not to have been harmed." He walked over to a hologram that showed the image of the queen of Crystal Tokyo. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he gazed at the golden haired vision of loveliness in front of him.

Sapphire shook his head. His brother had been obsessing over the queen since he had first seen her. It had infected him like a disease and had begun to consume his every thought. It was causing Diamond to lose his focus on their mission.

"The queen rarely ever left the palace. No one could have guessed that she would have come running out that day, much less be hit by the attack." Sapphire commented.

Diamond clenched his fists. "But she did. Now she's lying lifeless inside that palace encased in crystal and more unreachable than ever."

"Well if her guardians fall, she'll be defenseless. The king was also hit in the attack and he is useless. So he will be unable to defend his wife if we manage to get in." Sapphire reminded him.

Diamond sneered at that thought. King Endymion, what a joke. How had he ended up with such an angelic creature as his wife? She deserved someone more than that weak, pathetic excuse for a man. She needed someone strong to stand by her side and adore her as the goddess she was.

"Serenity" he whispered as he continued to be lost in the sight of her delicate features. "I will set you free, my love."

He shook his head and pulled himself away from his daydreams. Turning back to Sapphire he asked, "What of the princess? Do we have any idea what happened to her?"

Sapphire shrugged his shoulders. "It's anyone's guess. The girl disappeared sometime during the battle and has not been seen since. I wouldn't be too concerned about her though. She's just a child and is of no threat to us."

"Hmm…" Diamond muttered. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. The Silver Crystal also vanished at the same time, so the girl may have it. Being a descendant of the moon kingdom may give her the power to control it."

"I seriously doubt that." Sapphire contradicted. "She's still young, and she's also half earthling. I don't think the crystal would respond to her."

Diamond felt sick to his stomach at the thought of Serenity giving birth to another man's child, but the girl resembled her mother very much in looks and personality, so he wasn't so quick to dismiss her as a potential threat.

He turned back to the crystal that showed the image of the teenage boy with the girl in his arms. They had reached a house and lady with long indigo hair was letting them in. He watched the boy carry the girl upstairs into a pink bedroom and lay her gently on a bed.

His eyes widened and a sinister smile began to spread across his face as an idea began to form in his head.

"I think I have a new plan, Sapphire." he said to his brother with a chuckle.

* * *

Awareness began slowly returning to Serena's body. She wasn't exactly sure what had happened, but at the moment she felt safe and secure. She had a feeling of being wrapped in a warm cocoon, and it would be so easy to just drift back off again.

She vaguely thought that she heard her mother's voice, but didn't really pay attention to it. She was satisfied to just stay in her little dream world and imagine a handsome prince coming to sweep her off her feet.

She was a little disturbed however, because for some reason her dream prince seemed to look like Darien. No way! She couldn't stand that jerk. But for some reason she had images of her in a flowing white dress, dancing in the arms of a tuxedo clad Darien Shields. She gave an internal shudder. Scary thought.

She shuddered for real when she felt herself being laid down on something soft and lost that warm feeling she had been having. She gave a slight moan in protest.

A hand smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "Serena, can you hear me?" a voice asked.

She slowly opened her eyes and it took a moment for the face above her to come in to focus. She let out an ear splitting screech as she recognized the figure bent over her.

She rolled quickly away and sat up, looking around wildly. It finally clicked to her that she was on her bed in her room. But how she had gotten there was a mystery.

"What are you doing in my room Darien?" she screamed at the boy standing by her bed.

He seemed at a loss for words for a second. "You fainted at school, so I brought you home."

Her brow furrowed as she thought back on the events of that morning. She had been at the library working on her biology report and then ran into her friends outside. They had been having a strange conversation when she had noticed him standing nearby.

She pointed a finger at him. "That's right, you were eavesdropping. I remember now. Of all the pathetic, lowlife things to do. I ought to…"

"Serena!" her mother admonished her, coming into the room. "Is that anyway to treat your rescuer?"

Serena seemed to choke. "My rescuer? I would be better off with a fire breathing dragon than with him."

Ilene saw the hurt look that crossed Darien's face and felt sorry for the boy. She knew that he and Serena had had a long time rivalry, and now knew that her assumptions were correct. This young man had feelings for her daughter, and she was pretty sure that Serena felt the same way.

"Well be that as it may young lady, Darien was nice enough to carry you home after you fainted. I'm sure with the scene you're making now, he's wishing that he had left you lying on the ground. How did I raise such an ungrateful daughter?" Ilene ranted.

Serena blushed at her mother's comment. She knew she should be grateful to Darien for not leaving her, but it was hard to be in debt to your worst enemy.

She took a deep breath and muttered, "I'm sorry mom, you're right. Thank you for bringing me home, Darien. You didn't have to, you know."

He waved her off. "It was no problem. I better run now, I'm already majorly late for school."

He picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder as he made his way from the room. Her voice stopped him when he reached the door.

"You're still a jerk though, just thought you should know." she called out to him.

He turned back to her with a grin. "And you're still a klutzy meatball head."

For once she didn't yell at him for that. She just gave him a small smile before lying back down and letting her mother help her get comfortable.

Darien let himself out of the house and began to walk down the street with a love struck expression on his face. She may not remember what they had shared in the past, but maybe they could still have a future together.

The blonde girl in his thoughts was now lying under the covers in her soft bed. Her fingers were tracing the edges of a broach that she had found pinned to her uniform shirt. It was very pretty. She yawned and set it on the table next to her bed. She liked the way it looked on the bow, so she set it where she wouldn't forget to put it on when she got up.

Rolling over, she thought about the events of this morning. Even though Darien was no knight in shining armor, she was grateful to him for helping her. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy after all. She remembered the dream she had been having before she woke. Maybe they could be friends after all.

She dozed off, never knowing of the hidden eyes that were watching her sleeping form. The owner of those eyes thought to himself, _'Yes, this could be the perfect time to strike.'_

**A/N** Well what did you think? Like I said, this is an old story, but it was one of my faves to write. Push the button below and leave me a review so I know whether to keep editing and posting the rest, or to just scrap it. Later!!!

Sere-chan


	2. A Wish Come True

**A/N **Hey guys. Working on Lunar Princess was giving me a major headache. So since response to this old story of mine was so good, I decided to run through this chapter real quick and fix a few things and post it. I'm glad that everyone seems to be liking it so far. I know a few people were questioning the logic on some of the events, but this is fan fiction, it's not supposed to make total sense, right :) Thanks for all the reviews:

**xo Usako ox**

**Beloved Dawn**

**Roses and Diamonds**

**Macala Armstrong**

**serenity11287**

**CrystalSky**

**Lauren**

**Sakura Lisel**

You guys rock. And to my Lunar Princess readers, Chapter 12 is coming. Maybe as early as later today, but it may be tomorrow. Oh well, here's Chapter 2.

_**ENJOY!!!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 2

A Wish Come True

The early afternoon sun was streaming through the bedroom windows when Serena awoke. She stretched out on the bed, disoriented for a moment about why she was at home in bed in the middle of the day on what she was pretty sure was a school day. Suddenly she remembered the events of this morning and she jerked up into a sitting position.

She remembered going to school to hit the library up and then running into her friends. She couldn't remember what they were talking about, but she did remember looking up and seeing that jerk Darien watching them and listening in on their conversation.

She had gone off on him for eavesdropping, and then everything went blank. The next thing she knew, she was home and Darien Shields was standing in her bedroom, her sacred place. She shuddered.

'_Well it was nice of him to bring me home. He could have just left me there.' _her inner voice whispered to her.

Yeah, but one act of kindness couldn't make up for months of ridicule.

**Flashback**

She had first seen him when she was in eighth grade. Friends of her parents owned the Crown Arcade and their son Andrew was one of Serena's best friends. He was a year older than her, so he was like her adopted older brother. They had gone to school together with their other two friends Molly and Melvin until he started ninth grade, then he started going to Azabu High School while Serena, Molly, and Melvin were attending eighth grade at their old school.

Every afternoon after school, Serena would hurry to the arcade where Andrew would make her milkshakes and they would talk about their day in between him waiting on customers.

It wasn't long into the new school year when Andrew told Serena about a new friend he'd made. "His name's Darien," he told her. "He's really nice. I think you'd like him. I told him to stop by sometime, so maybe you'll get to meet him."

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. The more the merrier, right." Serena had replied in between sips of her chocolate milkshake.

Then reality had hit the next day. Serena had breezed through the doors of the arcade for her afternoon visit with Andrew and found him laughing and joking with a dark haired boy. Figuring this must be his new friend, she approached the two with a wide smile on her face.

Andrew returned the smile when he saw her. "Hey Sere, grab a stool. The usual?"

"Yes please." she responded.

"By the way, this is Darien Shields. Darien, this is one of my best friends Serena Tsukino." Andrew introduced them as he began making Serena's milkshake.

Serena turned to Darien with the friendly smile still on her face. "Hi, nice to meet you."

Deep midnight blue eyes were turned on her. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked into their bottomless depths. Those eyes gave her a cursory once over before looking away.

"Hello" he replied simply before turning his attention back to his soda.

The smile wavered on her lips. She felt like she had been dismissed. Like she had been examined and found lacking something.

Andrew sat a glass in front of her and she grabbed it and took a long sip to cover her confusion.

"So how was your day?" Andrew asked her.

Serena launched into a recap of what had happened at school that day. In between her tales Andrew would tell her about something that had happened at the high school. Sometimes he would ask Darien about an event, and they would talk for a while about it, but the moment Serena tried to join in the conversation, Darien would fall silent again.

Serena had finished her shake and looked at the clock. "I guess I better get home. I'll see you later. Bye Drew. Bye Darien."

'See ya Sere." Andrew had called after her.

Darien just mumbled a quiet, "Bye"

And that had started a trend. At first Darien would only come by a couple of days a week. Over the months, it gradually turned into a daily event for him to show up at the arcade, sit on his stool sipping a soda, talk to Andrew, and practically ignore Serena.

At first this had bothered her, but eventually she just wrote it off as that they weren't meant to be friends. Eighth grade ended for Serena, and she was thrilled that she and Andrew would be in the same school again. She was sad though because Molly and Melvin would both be going to Juuban High while she would be attending Azabu.

A quiet summer had passed much the way the school year had. She would hang out at the arcade and visit Andrew, ignoring Darien as he ignored her. A week before the new school year started, Serena was moping over a sundae at the arcade.

"Most of my old classmates are going to Juuban." she complained. "It's going to be like starting all over again."

Andrew put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "It'll be fine. You make friends easier than anyone I've ever seen. I bet you'll have them lining up for you. And I'll be there to watch out for you. Darien will be too, won't you?" he asked turning to the boy next to them.

Darien blinked and looked up from the book he was reading. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Andrew rolled his eyes at his friend. "It'll all work out."

And in a way it had. While high school was a totally different world than what she was used to, she adapted quickly.

She made a few acquaintances, but no real friends. Most of the students there had known each other their whole lives, so they had already formed their little cliques.

Andrew always seemed to be nearby looking out for her. A few times she even thought she saw Darien in the hall where the freshmen lockers were, but couldn't be sure.

The classes she was taking were definitely harder. She was struggling to learn geometry, so she had gotten into the habit of pulling her homework out at the arcade so that Andrew could help explain it to her.

One day the arcade was really packed, and Andrew was kept busy with customers. He was trying to help her, but every time he began explaining something, he would get called away. Finally he said, "Darien, can you help explain this to Serena? I'm swamped here."

Darien looked surprised for a moment, and then sighed. He took the book from Serena and then looked at what she had written down. He studied it for a moment and then said, "You've got it right until you get to this part, let me show you what you're doing wrong."

A few minutes and a couple of problems later, it finally made sense to her. "Oh I get it now!" she exclaimed. "Thanks Darien." she said, giving him a bright smile.

He looked as if he was going to return her smile before his face hardened and he smirked at her. "No big deal. It's simple stuff really, a kindergartener could do it."

Serena froze. "What? Are you implying I'm stupid?"

He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm just saying that this is high school you're dealing with now. You still run around acting like a child with all of your whining and complaining. It's time for you to grow up."

Her face flushed red. "Why you arrogant, conceited…"

"Careful Meatball Head, I wouldn't want you to break a sweat trying to think of big words to make yourself sound smarter." he interrupted her.

"What did you call me?" she shrieked.

"Meatball Head" he calmly stated. "You have to admit, that is a strange way you wear your hair."

Serena jumped to her feet. "Go to hell, you jerk!" she screamed at him before picking up her half empty milkshake and dumping it over his head.

She grabbed her books and her bag and stomped out of the arcade.

Thus began the war between the two biggest enemies in the Azabu/Juuban district.

Word spread far and wide, and people began coming into the arcade every afternoon to see if they were going to be treated to a show better than any soap opera.

After the first incident, Serena had run home crying. She begged her mom to transfer her to Juuban High and avoided the arcade for a few days, but then she met someone who changed her life. Quiet, studious Amy Mizuno.

Amy had gone to private school all of her life, but had begged her mother to let her attend the local high school. Her first day, Serena had been named her guide. Despite their different personalities, they had hit it off and soon became great friends.

Not too long after that they got another new student in their class. The mysterious Raye Hino. She was a priestess at the local temple her grandfather ran. She was a little withdrawn at first, but soon opened up.

The three girls had become inseparable, and the rest of freshman year had passed smoothly.

At the beginning of sophomore year, they had met Lita Kino and Mina Aino. The two of them were quickly adopted into the group.

The five of them were together almost every waking moment. They would meet up in the morning before school and they would all lunch together. Once class was over they would head to the arcade for a snack and the latest installment of the ongoing battle between Serena and Darien before heading to Raye's temple for study group.

**End Flashback**

Serena smiled as she thought of her friends. They really were the best. She hoped that they weren't too worried about her mysterious fainting spell. She was still trying to figure that one out herself.

Deciding that she would meet up with them after they got out of school and assure them that she was okay, she threw back the covers.

A loud meow shrieked in protest as the mountain of blankets landed on a curled up ball of black fur at the foot of the bed.

Serena quickly dug through the pile and retrieved a black cat from under it.

"Oh, I'm sorry Luna." she said, hugging the cat close. "I didn't realize you were down there."

She sat the feline back down onto the bed before getting up and retrieving her discarded clothes from earlier. She disappeared into the bathroom for a quick wash up, unaware of how the cat's eyes were following her.

Once the water was running, the feline crawled under the bed to a device about the size of a calculator. Knowing it was lunchtime at the school, she knew it was safe to contact the others. Pressing the call all button, she waited a moment until four anxious faces filled the screen.

"What is it, Luna?" Mina asked, assuming her former position as the leader of the sailor scouts.

"There's no problem." Luna reassured them. "I just thought I'd let you know that Serena is awake and seems to be fine after her ordeal this morning. You might want to pass the word on to Darien."

"No need, he's right here." Lita said.

Luna heard the water in the bathroom turn off. "I better go." she said quickly, cutting the connection and jumping back onto the bed.

She had just curled up into a ball when the door to the bathroom opened and Serena came back into the room dressed and her hair set back into its original style.

She patted the cat on the head. "See ya later, Luna." She was almost to the door when she remembered something. Turning around, she retrieved the broach from her bedside table and pinned it to the bow on her shirt.

Looking in the mirror, she examined the effect. "I do like the way that looks. I wonder where it came from. Oh well, time for lunch."

She left her room and went downstairs, where she found her mother in the kitchen.

Ilene looked up from the pot she had cooking on the stove and smiled at her daughter. "Hi honey, how are you feeling?"

Serena took a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar and returned her mother's smile. "I'm fine mom. I don't know what made me pass out like that this morning. Maybe my blood pressure got too high or something. All I remember is getting mad at that jerk face, Darien, then I woke up here."

Ilene shook her head. "Were you arguing with that nice young man again?"

"Nice?!" Serena screeched. "Mom, we're talking about Mr. Darien I'm Too Stuck Up For My Own Good Shields. He's the coldest and cruelest student in school."

"Well" Ilene said. "He's always seemed very polite to me, and Andrew thinks the world of him."

"Yeah, I know." Serena sighed. "I never have figured that out. He's all nice to Andrew, and he's polite to everyone else. It seems to just be me he has a problem with. I don't get it."

Ilene knew why Darien acted so different around Serena, but wisely kept that information to herself. They would either figure it out on their own eventually, or end up killing each other.

Ilene made them some lunch, and then was surprised when Serena began to help out with some chores without being asked. Lately it had been like pulling teeth to get her daughter to help out around the house. They had just finished folding a load of laundry, when Serena looked at the clock and realized that it was almost time for school to let out.

Hey mom," she said. "I'm gonna go meet up with the girls for a while. I'm sure Amy got my assignments for me. I want to get them so I don't fall behind."

Ilene looked concerned. "Are you sure you feel well enough to go out by yourself?"

Serena waved her off. "Yeah, yeah mom. I feel fine, okay. I'll see you later."

She left the house and walked toward the school. She met her friends just as they were coming through the gate.

"Hey guys!" she called out to them.

They all turned and stared at her as if she were an apparition for a moment, before they smiled and greeted her back.

"What's up? Did I miss anything exciting today?" she asked them.

"No, not really." Mina said. "Well, Miss Haruna was really bitchy. I guess she got dumped again. But other than that, everything was pretty typical."

The rest of the girls nodded in agreement. They had all decided at lunch, along with Darien and Andrew, that it was best to keep everything as normal as possible around Serena. The negaverse was defeated anyway, so there was no sense in forcing her to relive painful memories.

"Hey Amy, did you by any chance get my assignments for me?" Serena asked the blue haired girl.

Amy looked shocked. "Yes I did. I was going to bring them by later. Here you go." she handed her a sheet with the day's work listed on it.

"Thanks" Serena said, taking the sheet and studying it. "Oh good, I only need to grab my history book from my locker. I already have the rest at home."

"We'll come with you." Raye said.

Serena shook her head. "No need. You guys head on to the arcade, I'll catch up in a minute."

They were reluctant to leave her alone, but didn't want to cause a scene. Anyway, Darien and Andrew were both still there. They had stayed behind to talk to their chemistry teacher about a project they were doing, they would keep an eye on her.

Pulling out her cell phone, Mina sent a text to Darien's cell.

_Sere on campus. Watch her._

She flipped the phone closed and then the group of girls headed for the arcade to wait for their best friend and clueless princess.

* * *

Serena made her way down the empty hallways toward her locker that was located in the hall where most of the science labs and classrooms were located. Figuring that she was probably the only one here besides the custodial staff, she wasn't really paying attention to what was in front of her. So she was shocked when she hit something that felt like a brick wall and went tumbling toward the floor.

She braced for impact with the hard tile floor, but instead felt strong muscular arms wrap around her and save her from the collision.

She heard an amused chuckle and opened her eyes. Her breath caught when she met a pair of gorgeous lavender eyes. She realized that she was clutching her savior's arms tightly in her hands and let go with a gasp and backed away quickly.

"I'm so sorry." she apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

The young man in front of her gave her a wide smile before saying, "No, it's all my fault. I should have checked to see if anyone was coming before I stepped out the door."

Serena took a moment to look him over. He was tall and slim, but well defined under his faded jeans and white button down. His hair was a beautiful silvery white color that was long enough to lie over his collar and hang into his alluring eyes.

She shook her head slightly to clear her head. "I don't remember seeing you here before. Are you a new student?"

"As a matter of fact I am." he replied. "My family just moved here, and my brother and I have enrolled here."

"Well welcome to Azabu High." Serena said. "I'm Serena. I'm a sophomore."

He took the hand she held out to him and raised it to his lips before laying a light kiss to the back of it. "I'm charmed Serena. My name is Dominic. I'm a senior."

Serena felt herself being sucked in by his politeness and his friendly demeanor.

"So what is a beautiful young lady like yourself doing here all alone on a Friday afternoon?" he questioned.

"Oh, I wasn't feeling good earlier today." she answered. "I just came to get some things I need to finish some assignments over the weekend."

With that being said, she walked over to her nearby locker and twirled the lock around to put in the combination so she could open it. She pulled out her history book and closed the door before turning back to him.

"Well I guess I'll see you around Dominic." she said.

"Definitely" he said with a smile as he stepped closer to her.

At that moment, a door across the hall opened.

* * *

Darien and Andrew were in one of the chemistry labs talking to their teacher about the details of a project they were doing together for class. They were nearing the end of their conversation when a buzzing sound came from Darien's pocket.

"Excuse me." Darien said politely before pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He pushed a button on the phone and read the message that Mina had sent him. Andrew saw the lines of tension that suddenly appeared on his friend's face.

Their teacher Mr. Erickson laughed. "No problem my boy. I remember my high school days well. It's after school hours on a Friday. I'm sure you've got a lovely young lady waiting for you somewhere. I think we've covered everything. Now you two get out of here and enjoy your weekend."

"Yes sir." the two teens replied as they walked over to the table where they had left their bags and began putting their books and papers back into them.

"What's up?" Andrew asked his friend quietly.

"Mina sent me a message saying Serena's here. I'm assuming she's alone because she said watch her." Darien mumbled.

"Huh, I figured one of them would stay with her." Andrew said.

Darien sighed. "If I know Serena, she probably told them to go on ahead."

Andrew nodded. "True. She hates for people to hover."

Darien threw his bag over his shoulder. "Well let's go find her. The negaverse may be gone, but if there's any possible trouble around, Serena's sure to find it."

They opened the door and stepped out into the hall, and froze at the scene in front of them.

Darien's blood boiled at the sight. There was his Serena, his princess, leaning back against the row of lockers behind her while smiling her beautiful smile up at a guy who was standing in front of her.

Andrew looked back and forth between the cozy scene and his best friend. Seeing the color rising in Darien's face, he decided he better diffuse the situation fast.

He cleared his throat to alert the other two that they were no longer alone. Serena jumped a little at the sound and backed away from the light haired guy, while the young man turned to see who had interrupted them.

Andrew ignored him as he walked over to Serena and pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey Sere. How are you feeling?"

Serena giggled as she returned the embrace. "I'm fine Drew. I don't know what was wrong with me this morning, but I had a nice nap, and now I'm good as new."

"That's good news." Andrew told her. "So who's your friend?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm so rude. Andrew, this is Dominic. He's a new transfer student that will be starting here next week. Dominic, this is my unofficial adopted brother, Andrew."

"Nice to meet you." Andrew said, holding out his hand.

Dominic shook the offered hand. "Likewise."

Darien watched the exchange. There was something in this guy's eyes that made him be on guard. Something that seemed cold and calculating. He wanted nothing more than to grab Serena and get her as far away from this asshole as quickly as possible.

He must have made some sound or movement, because Serena turned her attention on him. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he saw her eyes soften for a moment as she looked at him. Then a mask of indifference fell over her face.

"Oh yeah, that's Darien over there." she told Dominic, waving a hand carelessly in Darien's direction.

Cold lavender eyes met stormy deep blue as the fair-haired figured turned toward the ebony haired one. It was like a silent battle of wills as they stood there for several seconds, appraising each other carefully.

Dominic finally broke the silence. "Charmed, I'm sure."

Darien said nothing. He just continued to glare at the guy, his fists slowly tightening into fists at his side.

Serena let out a nervous laugh. "Don't mind Darien, Dominic. That's his usual behavior around people. It's amazing he's allowed out in public."

Her voice intruded on Darien's thoughts, and he turned surprised eyes toward her. After a moment of confusion, he began to grin. If that was the way she wanted to play it, then so be it.

"Well ya know Meatball Head," he drawled, "some people take a more mature and serious approach to life. Maybe you should try it sometime."

A flush of anger flooded Serena's face and her crystal blue eyes were practically shooting sparks. One of the boys sighed as he saw the signs of her temper surfacing, while the other two silently caught their breath at the beautiful vision that she presented to them.

She stomped her foot as she exploded. "I knew it. I just knew that you would go right back to your cold attitude. This morning was just so out of character for you. And to think I thought that we might actually be able to become friends."

Tears of anger were now shimmering in her eyes. Darien opened his mouth, but was cut off by the enraged blonde.

"Save it. I don't want to hear another word out of you Darien Shields. I can't believe that I let one act of kindness make me think that you might have changed. Maybe I am a little too optimistic about life, but it's better than being than being a shallow, miserable person like you."

Her tears began to spill over as she turned and fled down the hall, leaving the three speechless boys standing there.

After a moment of silence, Darien muttered, "Shit…" Then louder, "Serena stop." He took off after her, with Andrew right on his heels, never noticing the amused smirk that was turning up Dominic's lips.

"So it begins." he whispered gleefully, and then vanished from the hall.

* * *

Four girls sat in a booth at the arcade, idly swirling their straws around in their milkshakes. A giant plate of cheese fries sat almost completely forgotten on the table in front of them. Every now and then, one of them would look at their watch and sigh.

"She should have been here by now." Raye grumbled

Lita nodded. "Yeah, how long does it take to get a book out of her locker?"

"Maybe we should go look for her." Mina suggested.

Amy spoke up. "I don't think so. Don't you think that would look strange to her if we go looking for her barely twenty minutes after we left her?"

The rest of them grudgingly agreed and went back to neglecting the milkshakes and food.

After a few more minutes of silence, Raye slammed her hands on the table as she stood. "I don't care if I looks funny or not, I'm going to find her."

She was turning away from the table when the doors to the arcade slid open, admitting a teenage blonde girl. The girl was red faced and had tear tracks on her face. Before her friends could ask her what was wrong, the doors slid open again.

This time two teenage boys walked in. One was tall and slender with sandy blonde hair and bright hazel eyes. The other was slightly taller than the blonde boy with a more muscular build. His silky hair shone a deep ebony and his eyes rivaled the depths of the ocean.

The blonde boy walked over to the girl and put a comforting arm around her. He spoke quietly to her for a moment before going behind the counter and reaching for an apron.

The girl and the remaining boy eyed each other warily. All eyes and ears in the arcade were tuned in to see who would win the latest battle.

"Why did you do it?" Serena finally broke the silence. "Picking on me front of people that know me is one thing, but to do it in front of a total stranger…"

"Stranger!" Darien retorted. "Looked like he was getting pretty friendly to me."

Serena threw her hands in the air. "For crying out loud, he's a new student. I was just welcoming him to the school. What's wrong with that?"

"Yeah, he was really enjoying that welcome." Darien growled. "The guy was practically all over you. I could see him undressing you with his eyes. Trust me, he's only after one thing."

"What does it matter to you? It's not like you care what happens to me anyway." Serena demanded.

Darien took a step back. Oh, if only she knew how much he cared. "Look Serena," there were gasps heard around the arcade as he actually used her name instead of his customary 'Meatball Head'. "Just because we don't always get along doesn't mean I want to see anything bad happen to you."

Serena was as shocked as everyone else. Not only had he called her by her name, but there was a sincerity in his voice that she had never heard before. He was also looking directly at her instead of fixing his eyes on a spot somewhere over her shoulder. His penetrating gaze bore into hers, revealing emotions usually absent from the sapphire eyes.

They both stood in silence, staring at each other until Andrew announced, "Okay everyone, show's over for today. We'll call it a draw."

The noise level began to pick up around the arcade while the two continued to stand there.

Finally Darien said, "I really do want to be your friend Serena. Can't we call a truce?"

Serena thought about it for a minute. He really seemed sincere, and she honestly hated fighting with anyone besides her brother anyway. She gave him a wide smile and held out he hand. "Okay, truce. But no more Meatball Head comments."

He smiled a genuine smile at her that had her stomach doing flips. "I promise, Serena." he vowed as he took her hand.

She let out a small gasp and her eyes widened at the contact. It was almost like an electrical spark where their skin touched. She suddenly felt warm and protected, and also had an almost unbearable urge to throw herself into his arms.

"Oh, that is so beautiful." Mina sighed as she watched her princess reconnecting with her prince.

Raye agreed. "Their auras are positively glowing."

"Yeah, capeboy might be able to salvage their relationship after all." Lita grinned

Amy just blushed and remained quiet.

Serena finally pulled herself away from Darien's eyes and released his hand. "See ya later." she said and walked over to the booth where her friends were, while Darien went to the counter where Andrew was.

"Hey guys." Serena chirped as she slid into the booth with her friends. She reached for some cheese fries.

"Sooo…what was all of that about?" Raye asked slyly. The rest of the girls also turned curious eyes on their friend.

Serena swallowed the fries in her mouth. "Oh nothing much. I ran into this guy who's a new student while I was getting my history book. We were talking when Darien and Andrew came out of the chemistry lab. I really don't remember how it all got started, but I said some things, and then he said some things. I ran off and came here. You saw the rest."

"Are you really calling a truce with him?" Lita asked.

Serena sighed. "I'm going to try. I know he's really a nice guy, even if he never shows that side to me. I hate fighting with him all the time."

They all murmured an agreement, then Mina asked, "So is the new guy cute?"

Raye, Mina, and Amy groaned quietly. They knew what Mina was like when she got on the subject of boys.

Serena nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah. He's got this longish silvery white hair and his eyes are simply gorgeous. They're a light purple, lavender really. His name's Dominic and he's a senior."

Mina looked star struck. "Wow, I hope he has a twin."

Serena shook her head. "I don't know about that, but he did say his brother was going to be going there too."

A milkshake suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up into Andrew's smiling face. "Compliments of the gentleman at the end of the bar." he said laughingly. "He called it a peace offering."

Serena looked over and saw Darien watching her from his usual stool at the end of the counter. He smiled at her when he saw her look his way.

She returned the smile. "Well give the gentleman my thanks." she said, and then took a long sip of the chocolate shake. "So what are we doing tonight girls?" she asked happily.

Twenty minutes later the milkshakes and cheese fries were gone and they had plans for a sleepover at Raye's temple that night.

Noticing the fading daylight outside the window, Serena checked the time. "I better get home and clear things with my mom. I'll see you guys in a little while."

She got up from the table, not noticing that someone who had been watching her intently got up from their seat at the same time and headed for the door as she did. The two reached the door at the same time.

"Ladies first." Darien said, stepping aside and letting her go in front of him.

"Thanks." Serena said with a smile and stepped through the door.

It was late winter, and while the days were pretty mild, the temperature cooled off rapidly once the sun began going down. Serena hadn't thought of this earlier and hadn't bothered to grab a jacket before leaving the house. She shivered in the brisk wind and wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

A warm weight suddenly landed on her shoulders and she turned to see that Darien had followed her out. He had removed his school blazer and had draped it over her.

"But you'll get cold." she protested.

"Nah, I'll be fine." Darien said. "Walking will keep me warm. I go right by your neighborhood anyway. So I'll just walk you home and get my jacket back when we get there."

Grateful for the gesture, she slipped her arms into the sleeves and pulled the collar up around her neck. She couldn't help but notice the smell coming from the fabric. It was a light, fresh, clean smell, and also carried a hint of…roses?

She mentally shrugged at that. It didn't matter, at least she wasn't freezing now. But looking at Darien in nothing but his thin white button down, she felt guilty for just standing there,

"Come on." she said, surprising Darien as she grabbed him by the hand and began hurrying down the street. "If you want to be all macho, the least I can do is get home as fast as I can before you turn into a popsicle."

With a huge grin on his face, he turned to the five sets of eyes watching them through the window of the arcade and gave them a thumbs up.

* * *

Diamond growled at the image of the blonde girl dragging the dark haired boy behind her as she made her way down the street. He took a long sip from his ever-present glass of red wine.

Initiating a fight between the prince and princess was supposed to force them farther apart, not bring them closer together. Endymion was smarter than he had given him credit for. Diamond had not missed the fury in the prince's eyes when he had come upon him and Serenity earlier that day, nor the possessive way he looked at the golden haired goddess.

Not that he blamed the fool. Being around Serenity, even her past self, had filled him with a sense of euphoria. She was intoxicating. She went to his head and made his senses spin more than any wine ever could. She was beautiful not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. Her pure and trusting heart called out to his tortured soul like a siren's song.

He turned his gaze to his hologram of Neo Queen Serenity. Still as beautiful and pure as the past version of herself that he had met today. But her future self was of no use at the moment, frozen as she was in a deep sleep and encased in a tomb of crystal.

That was how he had come up with his plan to win over the fair princess. If he was able to steal her away from that pathetic excuse for a prince, she would belong to him and never be subjected to years of mediocrity with that weak earth prince. The fact that she controlled the Silver Crystal was just an added bonus to ensure the safety of his people.

It was ingenious really. Instead of trying to destroy the Crystal Tokyo of the future, he would ensure that it never came to be by stealing away it's future ruler and having her rule at his side instead.

So enraptured was he in his daydreams, he didn't notice the dark shadowy being that had appeared in the room with him until a voice spoke. "How fares your mission Prince Diamond?"

Diamond spun to confront the intruder. "All is well, Wiseman. Was there something you needed?"

"The Dark Crystal grows weak from the amount of energy that was used to make the time jump. We must gather more energy if we plan to destroy the sailor scouts of the past."

Diamond let out a frustrated breath. "Fine, I'll take care of it. Now leave me."

Wiseman slowly faded from view. Diamond turned back to the image of Serenity for a moment before turning away and resuming his seat on his throne.

"Rubeus" he called out. A red haired young man appeared in front of him.

"You summoned me, my prince?" he asked with a low bow.

Yes" Diamond replied. "We are in need of energy for the Dark Crystal. Send one of the sisters with a youma to collect what we need."

"As you wish." Rubeus responded before leaving to carry out Diamond's wishes.

He entered a room where four women were laying around with bored expressions on their faces. He studied them all, trying to decide who would be best for the job. His gaze landed on the woman in the corner who was busy looking into a mirror as she applied lipstick to her full lips.

Rubeus grinned. "Katzy, I have a job for you." he said.

* * *

It was growing colder and the wind was picking up as Serena made her way up the steps to the front door of her house. She opened the door, dragging Darien inside with her, and quickly closed the door behind them.

"Serena, is that you?" her mother's voice came from the kitchen.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes mom, I'm home."

"Oh good, I was getting worried." Ilene said, coming into the entry hall. She paused for a moment when she saw Darien standing there. "Well it looks like I worried for nothing. You were in good hands. Dinner will be ready soon." she turned and went back into the kitchen, leaving Serena and Darien alone.

Serena slipped off Darien's blazer and handed it back to him. "Thank you for letting me borrow your jacket."

Darien grinned at her. "No problem. I guess I better get going."

"Okay, I'll see you later." Serena said.

Darien put his blazer back on. "Yeah, see ya around."

Serena let him out. When she had closed the door behind him, she leaned up against it for a moment and took a deep breath. For some reason she felt flushed and giddy. If only she knew that Darien was standing on just the other side of the door, breathing in her light citrusy scent that now clung to his jacket. A smile played around his lips and his eyes shown with a loving light.

* * *

Later that evening Serena once again left her house. This time she was dressed for the weather, she also carried a bag that contained her pajamas and her schoolbooks. Amy had promised to help her with the assignments that she needed to complete while they were at Raye's tonight.

When she reached the park, she automatically turned onto the path that would lead her through to the other side. It was much quicker than taking the long way around the park to reach Cherry Hill Temple.

In spite of the cool temperature, there seemed to be quite a few people in the park. Serena noticed that most of them seemed to be couples enjoying each other's company. She sighed, wishing that she had someone to spend a comfortable quiet night with, but shook her head when an image of Darien flashed through her head.

Why did she keep thinking about him? Sure she had always thought he was gorgeous, she wasn't blind after all. With that silky looking black hair and those eyes that could suck you in, he was definitely at the top of the food chain as far as the male species went. But his sour attitude had always overshadowed his good looks Serena had thought.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to run her fingers through those ebony locks. Maybe even feel those full lips of his against hers.

'_Whoa! Wait a minute. This is Darien I'm thinking about.'_ she told herself. Today was the first time they had ever even talked to each other civilly, and she was thinking about kissing him. He wasn't even her type, was he?

Thanks to her overprotective father, and Andrew to a point, she didn't even know what her type was. Here she was, sixteen years old, and she had never even had her first kiss. All of her friends had had at least one serious relationship. Even shy, quiet Amy had dated a guy named Greg for a while before he had gone away to school overseas, and they still stayed in contact.

Shivering in the cold breeze, she pushed all thoughts of Darien out of her head and continued on her way. She was near the middle of the park when she heard a scream in the distance.

Looking around trying to locate where the sound had come from, she became aware of people hurrying past her like they were running from something. She heard a loud crashing sound coming from the trees as more people fled past her.

"Youma" several people screamed.

Her eyes widened and terror flooded her as a large monster came rushing out of the wooded area right in front of her. Her body froze, and a scream caught in her throat as the hideous creature turned it's glowing red eyes on her.

**A/N **(Evil laugh) Uh oh, did I just post a cliffhanger? (Rereads the last two lines) Yep, I did. This actually was originally two separate chapters, but that seemed too short, so I combined the two to make one longer chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think by hitting the button below. I don't care if you just say one word, it makes me happy to get feedback from my readers. Until next time. Later!

Sere-chan


	3. Rekindling Emotions

**A/N** Hey guys! Sorry this is a little later being posted than I planned. Real life and all that other stuff you know. Anyhow, I'm just going to take a moment to thank my reviewers. Big Hugs to:

**xo Usako ox**

**Alexis Blake**

**Ravenclaw-Girl28**

**snoopykid **

**Macala Armstrong**

**Jerikagoddess**

**Beloved Dawn**

**prince noah**

Luv ya guys! Thanks for all the positive reviews. Now on with the story!

_**ENJOY!!!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 3

Rekindling Emotions

Darien barely felt the cold as he walked down the sidewalk in the brisk evening. After leaving Serena at her house, he had practically floated home, visions of her beautiful face swirling through his head.

Once reaching his apartment, he had fixed himself something to eat and had showered. Telling himself to get busy and quit daydreaming, he pulled his books out and sat them on the table to get some work done.

Going into his kitchen, he cursed when he discovered that he was out of coffee. That was one thing he had to have, he couldn't study without it.

So here he was, walking to the store to get his precious java. He could have driven, but the traffic at this time of day was terrible. It was colder, but quicker, to just walk to the store a few blocks away.

Allowing himself a few more minutes to daydream about Serena before hitting the books, Darien was planning a strategy in his head for winning Serena back. Maybe he would ask her to go somewhere with him, just as friends. He would turn on the charm he usually saved for his Tuxedo Mask persona and wait for the right moment. It also didn't hurt that he had some of Endymion's memories of courting Serenity floating around in his head. That could be useful, too.

He was only half a block away from his destination when a piercing pain shot through his chest. He felt a tug at his heart that felt a lot like the same feeling he got when Serena transformed into Sailor Moon.

He knew that unless something drastic had happened in the two hours since he had left her house, there was no way that she was transforming. So the only conclusion that he could come up with was that she was in trouble.

Changing directions quickly, he let the pull lead him toward her. As he ran, the feeling became stronger. He realized that he was near the park. _'Of course, it's always the park.'_ he thought to himself.

Realizing that there was no one around now, he ducked behind some bushes and quickly transformed into Tuxedo Mask, just in case his alter ego was needed. Although he could conjure his roses while in civilian form, it would be a sure way to blow his cover if someone saw him throwing roses that magically appeared out of thin air.

Now dressed in his tuxedo, cape, hat, and mask, he continued to follow the pull. The feeling was beginning to fade though, so he was hoping that maybe he was overreacting and there was nothing to worry about.

His hopes were dashed when he saw two figures running ahead of him. Pouring on some extra speed, he caught up to them.

"What's going on?" he asked Venus and Jupiter as he ran beside them.

"No clue." Venus said. "We were on our way to Raye's when Luna called and said that there was a youma attacking the park."

Jupiter scowled. "I thought we got rid of all that scum when the negaverse was defeated." She then turned her head to Tuxedo Mask. "How did you know to come?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. I got this strange feeling. The same kind I used to get when Serena transformed into Sailor Moon. I'm assuming she must have been around here somewhere. But she must have gotten away because the feeling is fading now."

"Well something's still going on." Venus said as they heard a few screams and crashing sounds coming from a short distance away.

Quickly making their way toward the commotion, they came a stop when they finally caught sight of the beast. It was definitely hideous looking. Standing at least twelve feet tall, it had loose, pale gray skin that seemed to hang off its frame. It was like something out of the real versions of fairytales that parents didn't tell their children.

It had its back turned to them, but the surprising thing was that Mars and Mercury were both there and making no move to attack.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Jupiter yelled at them as an antennae shot up from her tiara and she began calling down the power of lightning.

Mars spun and began running toward them. "No Jupiter! Stop!" she cried, throwing herself between them and the youma.

"What's the matter with you?" Venus demanded as Mercury joined them.

Mercury cleared her throat. "We seem to have a small problem." she said.

Tuxedo Mask looked around them as the youma turned its head toward them. Its red eyes glowing as it looked for more victims. It clutched something close to its chest, but it wasn't visible until the rest of its body turned to join its head.

He felt his blood turn into ice water when he saw the crumpled body in its arm. "Oh my god…Serena!"

* * *

Katzy watched from her perch on a branch, high up in a tree in the park. It hadn't taken her youma long to gather a lot of energy in a place with so many people. She would be able to call it quits soon and go back to the ship. She hated the smell of the Tokyo of the past and wanted to spend as little time here as possible.

She felt a presence next to her before she heard the high-pitched laugh that sounded like fingernails down a chalkboard. She knew who it was, so she didn't even bother looking over at the green haired woman that appeared.

"Nice work Katzy, Diamond will be pleased." the woman said.

Katzy snorted as she flung her long, deep purple hair behind her. "What do you want Emerald? I'm sure this isn't just a social call."

Emerald waved a careless hand. "Oh, I was just out seeing what kind of pathetic nightlife this horrible city had to offer. It was sooo boring. It tried to talk Sapphire into coming with me, that would have made things more interesting. But he said he was busy."

Katzy snickered. "Yeah, it also would have been interesting to see what Prizma would have done to your face if you had gone out with Sapphire."

It was Emerald's turn to snicker. "Sweetie, I promise you that your sister doesn't scare me in the least. She gave him the boot a long time ago anyway, so what does she care if he has a good time?"

It was true, Prizma had suddenly ended her long time relationship with Sapphire quite a while ago. None of them knew why, and nobody dared ask. But it was obvious from the way they were protective and jealous of each other that they still cared deeply for one another. Even if they were both too stubborn to admit it.

Now it seemed that Emerald had chosen Sapphire to be her latest pawn in trying to win Diamond over. They all knew of her obsession with their prince, but he had only had eyes for Serenity since the first day they had sat foot in Crystal Tokyo.

Smiling to herself, Katzy knew that the irritating, green haired bitch didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of landing the role of becoming queen. Looking around, she saw that most of the people had been drained of their energy and were lying unconscious on the ground.

"Well, I guess I'm done here." she said, getting up from her seat and preparing to leave.

Emerald surveyed the scene. _'Pitiful earthlings.'_ she thought to herself. Then her eyes fell on a lone figure that sat huddled by the path. The blonde girl was obviously frozen by fear, her wide blue eyes held panic in their depths.

Sudden recognition clicked in her mind as a malicious smile stretched her lips. Oh, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. "I think you forgot one, Katzy. The blonde over there looks like she might have some decent energy to gather for the dark crystal."

Katzy spotted the girl too. "Might as well." she sighed, and ordered the youma to drain the girl.

"Well, I'll see you later." Emerald said and disappeared.

'_Good riddance' _Katzy thought as she watched the youma advance on the frightened girl and take her in its clutches.

The blonde screamed, but it ended quickly as her energy began leaving her body

There was a slight commotion as two girls came running into the clearing. Katzy's eyes widened as she saw that they were clad in sailor fukus, one in red and one in blue. She grinned when she saw how they hesitated to attack while the youma was holding a hostage.

'_So the sailor scouts of the past are just as much a bunch of do-gooders as they are in the future.' _she said to herself. Only seeing two of them, she wondered where the others were. In the future, there were four guardians of Crystal Tokyo.

Her question was answered a minute later when two more fuku clad girls showed up along with a man dressed in a tuxedo. She didn't know who he was, and she didn't care. The youma was almost done with his job anyway, and then they could go.

She couldn't help finding amusement in the situation as she watched the future heroes standing there helpless. Suddenly the man in the tuxedo jerked as if he had been burned.

"Serena!" he yelled. So he knew this girl, even better.

A form suddenly materialized at her side and her arm was caught in a tight, vice like grip.

"What are you doing, Katzy?" Rebeus growled.

She was taken aback at the menacing tone in his voice. "I..I'm doing what you said. You told me to collect energy from the people."

"You fool!" Rubeus snapped. "Are you blind? That girl that your youma is draining right now is Serenity. Diamond's going ballistic. Sapphire is physically restraining him right now to keep him from coming after you. Now release her."

Panicked, Katzy sent a silent command to the youma to drop the girl and return to the ship. It obeyed and then disappeared.

Katzy turned scared eyes to Rubeus. "I swear, I didn't know it was her. I only ever saw the queen at a far distance, so I didn't notice the resemblance."

"Well, for your sake I hope Diamond believes that." Rubeus said with a sigh. He took in her frightened features and his eyes softened a bit. Taking her hand, he told her, "Come on. I'll stand by you and help explain everything."

She raised hopeful eyes to his. "Really. You would do that for me?"

He gave her a small smile. "I may end up regretting it, but yeah."

Hand in hand, they both vanished.

* * *

Tuxedo Mask growled angrily as he looked for an opening to strike at the youma who was holding Serena in front of it like a shield, slowly draining the energy from her. He had to find a way to get her away from that thing.

Mercury had her computer out, typing furiously as she searched for a weak point. "There's nothing we can do as long as it has her. Any attack we throw may hurt Serena."

They all looked at the completely unconscious form of Serena's body in the clutches of the youma. All of them felt helpless and hopeless.

A sudden breeze blew through the trees, bringing with it a faint voice. _'Don't worry about me my friends. Just take it out while you can.' _They heard a giggle, then, _'Do you honestly think the Silver Crystal would let me be harmed by my own scouts?'_

"Serena" Mars and Venus whispered.

"Did you guys hear that?" Jupiter and Mercury asked together.

Tuxedo Mask felt the breeze caress his cheek gently. It almost felt like the light brushing of soft fingers against his skin. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the feel.

In a city in the future, a soft smile appeared on the face of a woman who lay unmoving inside a solid chunk of crystal. A translucent figure stood watching her. When he saw the smile appear on her face, a hint of a grin touched his own ghostly lips.

"It's only the beginning, my love. We have a long way to go. But in time, everything will be set right again." he whispered to her seemingly lifeless body.

Back in the park, the scouts were powering up their attacks. Tuxedo Mask was positioned, ready to swoop in and get Serena out of harms way as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Suddenly the creature loosened its grip on Serena and disappeared. Even though taken by surprise, Tuxedo Mask made it to her in time to keep her from colliding with the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief as he held her tightly in his arms.

Turning to the others, he quickly asked, "Mercury, is she okay?"

Mercury smiled as she read the information on her computer. "She'll be fine. She only lost enough energy to lose consciousness, a few hours of rest and she'll be good as new."

They all let out the pent up breath they had been holding. To tell the truth, they had all been scared to death at the sight of their princess so helpless against that monster.

"Well," Venus chirped, "at least two good things can come out of this experience."

They all looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean by that?" Mars asked.

Venus replied, "Now it won't be suspicious to Serena if we insist on traveling as a group now. She'll just think that we're all scared of being attacked. You know, the whole safety in numbers thing."

They all thought about it for a moment, and could see the logic in it.

Jupiter then asked, "You said two things. What's the other one?"

Venus's eyes almost glowed with enthusiasm as she looked at Tuxedo Mask, who was still holding Serena.

"It's simple really. I don't think that even I, the goddess of love, could have planned it any better." she stated. "Darien stays with Serena until she wakes up. Then with all of us backing him, tell her that he rescued her from the youma."

"What?!" they all shrieked.

She shrugged. "Well it was just a thought. You know, the damsel in distress falls in love with her rescuer. Darien already has the Prince Charming routine down. Should be a cinch."

Jupiter scoffed. "That's crazy."

"Yeah, we want them back together too. But that's ludicrous." Mars sneered.

Darien let all of the bickering voices fade into the background as he stared down at Serena's lovely face. He couldn't help liking Mina's idea. It did sound very tempting. His head rose when he heard Mercury's quiet voice that was somehow heard above the other's yelling.

"You might be on to something Venus." she said, shocking the others into silence. "With a little modification, it just might work."

The others turned surprised eyes toward the blue haired girl.

"You actually think it 's a good idea?" Mars asked, dumbfounded.

Mercury shrugged. "I'm just saying it has possibilities. Serena would never believe that Darien swooped in and saved her, but we could say that he was passing by when the sailor scouts showed up to fight the monster. Then he saw her and got her out of harms way while the fight was going on."

Darien grinned. "I like that idea."

Jupiter snorted. "Typical male response."

The cold wind suddenly picked up again and Serena's body shivered in Darien's arms.

"Let's hash out all the details later." he said. "I'm assuming she was headed for the temple to meet up with you guys."

The four girls nodded their heads together.

"Well let's take her there and get her out of this weather." Tuxedo Mask said, securing his cape tightly around the precious bundle in his arms.

They all headed out of the park, unaware of the sharp, angry eyes that were watching them.

* * *

Diamond stood staring at the image of the sailor scouts and that clod Tuxedo Mask leaving the park with Serenity's unconscious form. He was angry that this had happened to his princess, but he was more enraged over the fact that that idiot Endymion would be getting the credit for saving her.

He held an ice pack to his bruised cheek and glared over at his brother, who had a handkerchief held to his nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"You shouldn't have stopped me Sapphire." he growled. "It could have proved helpful to our plan if I had saved Serenity from that attack."

Sapphire snapped right back at him, "It could have ruined everything. You're letting your obsession with that queen cloud your judgment. If you had run in there and called off that youma, it could have blown our entire cover."

There was a knock at the door before it opened. Rubeus walked in with Katzy trailing behind him.

Diamond looked at the two of them before turning and walking to his throne. Once he was seated, he looked over at the frightened woman and drawled, "Well Katzy, it seems you've been a bad girl."

Katzy fell to her knees in front of the throne. "Your Highness, I swear I had no idea that the girl was Serenity' s past self. If I had, I would never have touched her. I have only ever seen the queen at a distance. I was unable to see the resemblance."

Diamond flipped a switch embedded in the arm of his chair. A hologram of Neo Queen Serenity appeared side by side with a picture of Serena Tsukino.

"These two are one and the same." he declared. "No harm is to fall to Serenity, no matter in what time. She holds the Silver Crystal, the key to our success. Make sure everyone is aware of this. I will let you go with a warning this time Katzy, but I will not tolerate any future mistakes."

Katzy trembled in relief. "Thank you my prince. I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding. I didn't even notice the girl was there until Emerald pointed her out."

Diamond's eyes narrowed. "Really. Well, that is all. You two are dismissed."

Katzy and Rubeus bowed to the prince and quickly left the room. All was silent for a moment, and then Sapphire laughed.

"That devious little bitch." he said. "I never knew she had it in her. You better watch out for her, brother. She's determined that she's going to sink her hooks into you yet."

"I'm well aware of her intentions, Sapphire." Diamond replied. "I'm afraid Emerald is going to be sadly disappointed though. I have no need for a clingy, power hungry woman like that."

He rose from his seat and walked over to the holograms of Serenity and Serena. Taking in the vision of their golden loveliness, he sighed. "My queen will be a strong woman, able to stand on her own as my equal. If Emerald ever knowingly tries to harm Serenity again, she will find out how vindictive I can be."

Sapphire shook his head sadly. He was afraid that his brother's pursuit of Serenity would not end well, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Infuriating Diamond right now would serve no purpose. All he could hope to do is try to keep him focused on their mission. That was going to be hard enough, since Diamond was going to be in such close proximity to Serena.

They needed the Silver Crystal. As long as it existed, they had no hope of conquering Crystal Tokyo. Since the crystal in the future had vanished, their best hope was to capture it in the past.

Of course Diamond also sought to take the moon princess for himself. Then with her and the crystal in his control, the future would collapse, and they would be free to take over.

He watched as his brother remained entranced by Serenity's image. For Diamond's sake, for all of them, he hoped this worked. If not, it would be a disaster.

* * *

Serena moaned as consciousness returned. She tried to open her eyes, but even the dim light of the room caused her head to pound painfully. Her mouth was as dry as a desert, and her throat felt like it had been scorched by the fires of hell itself.

"She's waking up." she heard a voice say nearby. It sounded familiar. Amy?

Another voice then reached her ears. "Serena, can you hear me? It's me, Raye."

If Serena could have smiled she would have. Most people may think that they were mortal enemies, but in truth, they were as close as sisters. She could hear the care and concern in Raye's voice, and it warmed her.

Other voices were heard in the background. She picked up on Lita and Mina's voices, but there was another. It was deeper than the others, definitely male. It had a soothing tone that washed over Serena like a balm.

Eyes still closed, Serena wondered what had happened, why she felt like this. The last thing she remembered was walking through the park on her way to Raye's to have a sleep over with her friends. Did she pass out again?

Then other images began playing through her head. People running and screaming. Bodies on the ground. A monster grabbing her…Whoa, wait a minute…a monster. Had she been attacked? Is that why she felt like crap?

Yes she definitely remembered the monster snatching her up. She had begun to feel so weak. After that, there was nothing. But then came the memory of feeling warm and safe.

She could swear she could remember hearing a voice whispering in her ear, "Everything's okay now, Serena. I've got you. I'll keep you safe." She realized that she knew that voice.

Ignoring the pounding in her head, her eyes flew open as she quickly sat up. She noticed her friends standing beside the bed that she vaguely realized was Raye's, but she only had eyes for one person.

Darien was sitting at the foot of the bed, watching her as she stared at him. Without thinking, Serena threw herself across the bed, and wrapped her arms around him. She gave him a huge kiss on the cheek and then she began to sob against his shoulder.

After a moment, she felt his arms encircle her. That warm, safe feeling returned, and Serena knew she had the answer to the question running through her head.

"Thank you" she gasped. "You got me away from that monster, didn't you? I know you did. I heard you speaking to me."

There was a moment of silence before she felt his breath brush against her ear as he whispered, "Yeah, I got you away from there. But not before you scared about ten years off my life."

She pulled back at his teasing tone and looked into his gorgeous eyes. She could see humor in them as well as anxiety, but underneath there was more. A deep caring perhaps and even a touch of…heartbreak?

"How are you feeling, Serena?" Amy's voice broke through her thoughts.

Serena went to pull away from Darien's arms, but was shocked when he only tightened his hold on her. Instead she just turned her head to look at the blue haired girl.

"Honestly, I have a massive headache and I'm dying of thirst." she complained. "Every muscle in my body feels like I've gone twelve rounds with the heavy weight champion of the world. Other than that, I'm just peachy."

They all grinned at her mock sarcasm. Amy left to get her some aspirin while Lita went to the kitchen to make her something to drink. Raye and Mina retreated into the living room, arguing over what movie they were going to watch,

She turned her eyes back to Darien, who was still watching her with concern.

"Maybe you should lay back down." he suggested. "It may make you feel better."

She shook her head slightly. "Nah, my head actually feels better now that I'm sitting up." She paused for a moment. "I really am thankful for you saving me. That's twice today that you've come to my rescue. I think you must be a knight in shining armor in disguise."

His cheeks turned red at the flattery. If she only knew that he was really Tuxedo Mask, and that he really had worn armor in his previous life. He mumbled, "I really didn't do anything. The sailor scouts showed up to fight the youma. It put you down and I just took the opportunity to grab you and run."

Serena put a hand to his cheek. For some reason, this felt so right to her. "It was still a brave thing to do."

Darien couldn't help himself. Lost in the cool blue depths of her eyes, he felt like he was drowning. He slowly began to lower his head toward hers, giving her time to pull back if she wanted to. Instead, she sighed and her eyes fluttered closed as she slightly tilted her head back in anticipation.

'_This is it.' _he thought to himself. _'For the first time in a thousand years, I'm going to kiss my princess.'_

'_Oh my god! He's going to kiss me.' _The thoughts were screaming through Serena's head._ 'He's actually going to kiss me. My first kiss. What if I mess this up? Just shut up Serena and enjoy it.'_

Their lips were barely an inch apart, Darien closed his eyes, intending to savor every moment. He was about to close the gap when Amy and Lita walked in.

"Okay Serena, we've got you something to drink and some meds. That should make you feel better in …no…time." Lita's voice stammered as the two on the bed jumped apart as if they had been burned.

A wide grin spread across Lita's face, while Amy blushed and looked away.

"I'm sorry, did we interrupt something?" Lita asked in mock innocence.

Serena and Darien both just glared at her. Lita took no notice and walked over to them.

She handed the pouting blonde a glass and a couple of pills. "There, that should fix you right up. Now, are you two going to join us for the movie, or would you rather be alone?"

Serena growled. "Get out."

Lita held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get the picture. Come on Amy, let leave the smooching duo alone."

A heavy silence settled over the room. Serena popped the aspirin into her mouth and swallowed them with the entire contents of the glass. Feeling much better, she sat the glass on the bedside table before turning back to Darien.

"I'm sorry about that. They mean well and all, but sometimes I could kill them." she said, embarrassment turning her cheeks red.

Darien grinned at her. "It's cool. They're great friends, aren't they?"

"The best." Serena agreed. "You should probably thank them. I'm sure they just saved you from doing something you might have regretted later."

Darien was shocked. "What do you mean?"

She blew out a breath. "Oh come on, Darien. You were about to kiss me. We couldn't even stand to be in the same room together until a few hours ago. I'm sure you would have resented the action by morning."

He shook his head. "You're wrong Serena. You have captivated me since the first day I met you. You came breezing into the arcade like you were dancing on air. You were like a bright ray of sunlight."

Now it was Serena's turn to be shocked. "But you never acted like it. You pretty much ignored me for a year, and then you've spent the past year picking on me daily. That doesn't sound like how someone would treat somebody they like."

Darien sighed. "You scared me. I don't let many people into my life. I saw you as a threat. I knew that you could tear down the walls that I had worked so hard to build. I thought that if I ignored you, you would go away. But you didn't. So then I thought I could drive you away by being mean. That didn't work either, you just kept coming back for more. I found myself looking forward to our daily fights. At least that way I could talk to you." He blushed a little now. "You also look beautiful when you're angry."

Serena was speechless. She stared at him in total surprise. During all the long months of silence and fighting, she had never even seen the first hint that he had ever felt anything for her other than annoyance and loathing.

Darien moved closer to her. "I would like very much to ask you out, Serena. Would you be interested in spending tomorrow afternoon with me? Maybe we'll take a boat ride in the park and get some dinner later."

Serena's mind was racing a hundred miles an hour. Darien Shields had just asked her out. She had dreamed of this for over two years. Now it was happening and she couldn't get her voice to work. She swallowed several times before finally whispering, "I would love to."

Darien smiled at her. He was leaning in like he was finally going to deliver on that kiss, when Mina's voice was heard from the living room.

"Serena! What are you doing in there? I thought we were watching movies tonight." she complained loudly.

Serena pulled away with a sigh. "I may love them, but I'm going to kill them." she muttered as she climbed off the bed and headed for the door.

Darien grabbed her hand and pulled her to a halt. He lifted the hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on the back of it.

"We won't have any interruptions tomorrow." he promised her. "Now let's go join them before they decide to come lynch us."

Serena giggled as they walked into the living room where the others were waiting for them with snacks and the movie selections for the night.

Since Darien was there, they decided to forego the usual chick flicks and decided on an action movie instead. Of course it was soon apparent that the girls were watching it more for the good-looking actors in it than they were for the action.

Serena and Darien were on the couch together while Raye and Amy had claimed the two recliners. Lita and Mina, being the boy crazy maniacs they were, were sprawled on cushions on the floor right in front of the television so that they wouldn't miss a thing.

About an hour into the movie, Mina and Lita both groaned loudly.

"Ugh, how can he kiss her? I've seen dogs with better faces than hers. And her voice is irritating." Lita snarled.

Mina squealed. "I know. But I guess when you're making a lot of money to make a movie, you kiss whoever they want you to."

"Shhh!" Darien shushed them.

They turned to see that exhaustion had caught up to Serena again, and she had fallen asleep, her head in Darien's lap.

"Aww, isn't that sweet?" Mina gushed in a whisper.

Raye threw a pillow at her. "I swear, you are so annoying."

"Don't be so bitchy." she threw the pillow back at Raye.

It looked like a full-blown pillow fight was about to erupt between the two when Amy spoke up, "Stop it you guys. Let Serena sleep." She had slid her Mercury computer out and was scanning the sleeping princess. "Her energy level is still a little low. She needs to rest, and she can't do that with you two shrieking like banshees."

They all settled down after that and finished watching the movie. Darien wasn't paying any attention to what was happening on the screen. He was totally focused on the slumbering angel who had her head pillowed on his leg.

She was lying on her side, one hand tucked up under her chin. Her face was relaxed in sleep, giving her a gentle, peaceful appearance. Her long golden hair trailed all around her.

Unable to resist, Darien began sifting his fingers through the silken length. He was off in his own little world and didn't even realize when the movie ended. It wasn't until he heard his name called several times, that he snapped out of his trance.

"Wha…What?" he stammered.

The four girls looking at him broke out into giggles that they tried to smother behind their hands.

"I said it's after 1 a.m. We are all going to try to get some sleep. Maybe you should too." Raye told him.

"Oh, yeah." Darien muttered. He was reluctant to leave Serena's side, but knew she'd be safe here with the sailor scouts. Besides, he never did his studying, and he needed to get that done if he was planning on seeing Serena tomorrow.

"Should I just leave her here?" he asked, gesturing to the sleeping blonde.

Raye nodded, "Yeah, we're all bunking in here. No sense waking her."

Darien carefully lifted her head and slid out from under her. He took the pillow from the end of the couch and slipped it under her. Her brow furrowed and she whimpered in protest for a moment, but then she seemed to calm down again.

Stretching, Darien made his way toward the door, the girls following him.

"Remember" he told them. "She's not to be out walking around by herself. We don't know where that monster from earlier came from. It may have been one of Beryl's leftovers, but it might also be a new threat. So if one of you can't be with her, call me."

They all agreed, and Darien slipped out into the brisk night. He hadn't gone very far when he heard running footsteps behind him.

"Darien" he heard his name called. He turned to see a blonde girl chasing after him.

"Mina, what are you doing out here? It's freezing." he demanded.

Mina stopped in front of him and held something out to him. "I forgot to give you something. Luna gave it to me earlier and told me to make sure you got it." She placed the item in his hand.

He looked down at the small calculator size object. It had a small screen in the middle and was surrounded by five buttons. There was the symbol for Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus. The top button was in the shape of a crescent moon.

"It's Sailor Moon's communicator." Mina told him. "Since she doesn't need it right now, we thought that you should have it. It'll make staying in contact easier. Just push the button for whomever you want to talk to. If you push the moon button at the top, it'll call all of us at once."

He closed his hand around the small device, remembering the number of times he had seen it in Sailor Moon's hand as she called for backup. Tears actually stung his eyes as he remembered the spunky sailor scout and her witty intro speeches she would make while striking a pose.

"Thanks Mina" he whispered.

"Hey cheer up." she told him. "I noticed earlier when Serena first woke up that something seemed to have you down. What's the matter?"

Darien looked into the expressive blue eyes of the goddess of love, and felt that he could tell her what was on his mind.

He took a deep breath. "When Serena woke up and she threw herself into my arms, I was thrilled. I thought for a minute that she had come back. When I found out that it was gratitude that made her do it, and not remembering my love for her, I guess I was a little disappointed."

Mina was rarely ever serious, but she was now. "I know this hard for you. It's hard for all of us. But even though the parts of Serena that were Sailor Moon and Serenity are buried inside her right now, they're still there. It's part of who she is, even if she doesn't remember it. Her love for you is still there, too. It never left. You just need to unlock it."

Darien smiled at her. "You're right, Mina. And that's what I'm going to do. When did you get so smart?"

She grinned at him and flashed her signature V sign. "Being the goddess of love means being more than just a pretty face. Now get home and get some rest so you can take your princess out tomorrow and show her a good time."

"How did you know I asked her to go out tomorrow?" he asked, stunned.

She just turned and began walking back to the temple. Her voice floated back to him. "I'm in tune with these things. It also helped that the bedroom door was wide open where everyone could hear you."

He laughed out loud at that, shaking his head. The little eavesdroppers, he'd have to find a way to get them back for that.

Pulling the collar of his jacket up against the cold wind, he turned and headed for home. It had been an extremely long day, but tomorrow promised to be brighter.

**A/N** Sorry to all the Sere/Diamond fans who were hoping that Diamond was going to charge in to Serena's rescue. Like I said in the beginning, this is an old story that I am just reediting and posting. But never fear, Serena's going to get into more scrapes along the way, and Diamond will have his moments to shine. Primarily this is a Sere/Dare fic, but what girl wouldn't want two hot guys fighting over her? Remember, reviews make me smile :) Later!

Sere-chan


	4. A Gift From The Sky

**A/N **Hey guys! It took me a little while to put this together. Like I said, this story is over two years old. I don't know what I was thinking when I originally wrote this part, but it needed some serious work. Now instead of two long rambling chapters, it's only one long rambling chapter. So I hope this doesn't turn any of you off this story, I promise it will get better. Time for hugs:

**sailormoonlover01**

**xo Usako ox**

**snoopykid **

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**Beloved Dawn**

**honeylove90**

**Ravenclaw-Girl28**

**madamqueenkim **

**Jacks**

Thank you for the lovely reviews. I'm going to shut up now and let you read.

_**ENJOY!!!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 4

A Gift From The Sky

Serena froze as she heard the distant sound of the doorbell ringing, her hand halfway to her ear where she had been putting in her earrings. Panicked, she jumped up from her seat at her vanity table and began racing around the room. In her rush she kicked one of her shoes under the bed. She dropped to her knees to crawl under the bed and retrieve the rebellious object.

That was how her mother found her a few moments later when she entered the room. There was her daughter, butt in the air, scrambling under her bed while muttering to herself.

"Come here you stupid…oh…almost…got it!" she scooted backward until she cleared the bed. Sitting up, she shoved the offending shoe on her foot before grabbing its mate and doing the same with the other foot.

Ilene stifled a giggle. "Sweetheart, Darien's here. He's downstairs waiting for you."

Serena sighed. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Going out with him…this has got to be a joke or something."

Ilene stepped forward and took the earring that was still clasped in her daughter's hand and slipped it into her earlobe. Then she tucked a few strands of hair that had escaped from her odangos back in place.

"There, you look perfect." Ilene said. "Now you should get going. He looks anxious to see you."

"Tell him I'll be right down." Serena told her mother.

She turned back to her mirror to give herself a last look over. Oh, how she wished she had taken Mina up on her offer to help her get ready. But she had assured her friends that this was just a casual outing between friends and that she could manage to dress herself.

"Well, Luna. How do I look?" she asked, turning to the cat lying on her bed.

The black feline raised her head and looked at her mistress. "Meow"

The girl picked the cat up and held her close. "Oh, Luna. Sometimes I feel like you understand everything I'm saying. I think if you could, you would answer me back. You would tell me why I was crazy enough to accept a date with Darien Shields. I must be losing my mind."

She sat the cat back on the bed. "Well, here I go. Wish me luck."

She walked out the door, never seeing Luna shake her head in amusement, nor heard her whispered, "Good luck, Serena."

Serena made her way to the top of the stairway and paused to take a deep breath to steady her nerves.

'_Get a grip, Serena.' _she told herself. _'This is Darien you're getting the jitters over.'_

Yeah, it was only the guy that she'd had a secret crush on for two years. No problem.

She heard her mother say something, followed soon by Darien's rich voice. God, did he know how sexy he sounded? It made her knees weak just hearing it. She gripped the handrail tightly before making her way down the stairs. She was not going to trip in front of him and end up in a pile at the foot of the stairway.

She took each step carefully, keeping her eyes down to look for the next step before carefully placing her foot on it. When there were only two steps left, she looked up, and promptly tripped.

She felt herself falling forward and closed her eyes, waiting for impact. When it came however, she was surprised.

Instead of toppling onto the floor face first, she only fell forward about a foot before she collided with something that felt like a solid wall. Warm, strong arms wrapped around her and she heard a deep chuckle.

Opening her eyes, she realized that Darien had caught her before she became intimately acquainted with the foyer floor. She looked up at his amused, deep blue eyes and felt her breath catch.

He lifted her the last couple of steps down and set her on her feet before pulling back. "You okay?" he asked politely.

"Uh, Y…Yeah" she stammered as she took in the sight of him. Who said tough guys couldn't wear pink? He looked great in a pair of khakis and a pale pink button down shirt with the sleeves rolled back to reveal his muscular forearms.

'_Damn, how does she get more beautiful every time I see her?' _Darien was asking himself as he gazed at his princess. She looked so adorable in her short, sand colored dress with a sage green, short-sleeved jacket over it. He had to restrain himself to keep from dragging her into his arms and kissing her senseless.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, presenting his arm to her.

Serena smiled as she looped her arm through his, a sudden feeling of familiarity falling over her. "I am if you are. Lead on."

Ilene sent them off with a wave and a smile. She knew Ken would go into cardiac arrest if he knew his 'little girl' was out alone with a boy, but Ilene looked at the two of them together and saw the deep emotions under the surface. This was more than just a high school fling.

The weather perfect as the teenage pair walked toward the park. It was warm without being hot, and a soft breeze played through the air.

"Hard to believe it was so cold last night, isn't it?" Serena asked conversationally.

Darien nodded his head. "Yeah, but I think spring is definitely on its way in. So what do you want to do? A boat ride perhaps?"

Serena gave him a bright smile. "Sure, that sounds great. I haven't been out on the lake since last year."

Darien chuckled. "A boat ride it is then."

They made their way down to the docks where there was a small booth set up where they could rent a boat. In just a few minutes, they were situated and Darien was rowing them out across the water.

Serena felt breathless as she watched how the muscles in his shoulders and arms tensed and bunched as he worked the oars. The guy was an absolute god. She had always known that he was built, but she'd never had the opportunity to study him this close before.

She shouldn't be all that surprised. He and Andrew were both star players on the basketball team, and she knew they worked out together regularly. In addition to jogging every morning, they also went to the gym and martial arts class a few times a week.

The boat had reached a quiet spot on the lake, so Darien put the oars down and let them drift. He turned those deep, bottomless eyes on her and smiled.

"So" he began. "I want to hear more about you. What's inside that pretty little head of yours?"

Serena blushed and looked away. "There's not much I'm afraid. I'm sure you know it all already. It's not like we haven't known each other for over two years."

"True" Darien agreed. "But we've never actually talked to each other. I want to know what makes up Serena Tsukino?"

"Well" she began. "I've lived here all my life. My parents are the best, even if my dad can get a little psychotic at times."

Darien chuckled at this. He had heard stories about Ken Tsukino's overprotective nature when it came to his only daughter. He was glad that he hadn't been confronted with him today.

Serena continued. "I have a bratty little brother who drives me insane, and the greatest friends in the entire world. School's okay I guess, but I have no idea what I want to do with my life."

She paused for a moment, a small frown appearing on her face.

"What's the matter?" Darien asked anxiously.

She blinked a couple of times. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that while I've never been a stellar student, I've always done a little better than average. But when I was doing some homework earlier, I started finding these graded assignments in my bag. They were horrible grades, on tests and assignments I don't even remember doing. I even found one of my old report cards. It said I almost failed most of my classes last semester. I just don't get it."

Darien wondered how he could get around this subject without revealing too much. "Well you know, the last few months have been crazy. First those strange monsters show up and start attacking the city, and then teenage girls calling themselves the sailor scouts arrive and start fighting them. It's been weird."

Serena stared out over the water. "It's not just girls, there's a guy with them too. I looked up some stories online. There's five sailor scouts. Sailor Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and…Oh what was the other one's name?"

"Sailor Moon" Darien whispered.

"Right, Sailor Moon" Serena said. "But there's also this guy they call Tuxedo Mask that usually shows up with them."

They were both quiet for a minute, lost in thought. Darien gave himself a mental shake and turned to face Serena, ready to change the conversation to a lighter subject, but he was astounded when he looked at her.

She gazed out over the glassy surface of the lake, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Streams of tears flowed down her face from her crystalline blue eyes. A heartbreakingly distraught expression was on her face.

Darien reached over and put his hands over hers. "Serena, what's wrong?"

She turned her eyes toward him, two watery pools of sadness. "I think I'm losing my mind." she whispered softly.

"What!" he exclaimed.

She nodded slowly. "I really do. Everything about the last three months is so hazy. I have flashes of things, but it's like there are giant holes in my memories. I even lost a whole day. I can't remember the day before yesterday at all."

'_Of course she doesn't. That's the day she fought Beryl.' _Darien thought to himself. He looked for a way to reassure her.

"Hey" he said softly. "Don't worry about it. You're just as sane as anyone else. And you did have that accident in gym a few months ago. Maybe that has something to do with it."

Serena frowned as she thought back to that day. They had been working on the balance beams. She had slipped and fallen off of hers, cracking her head hard against the wood on her way to the floor. She had been knocked unconscious for several hours and had woken up in the hospital later that day.

Darien thought about that day too. He had gym the same period as her, and had been across the room, watching her without her knowing as he always did. He was enjoying the sight of her doing back flips along the beam when one of her feet slipped out from under her and she went crashing to the ground. It would have been comical, but he saw her head bounce off the beam as she fell and she didn't move once she hit the mats on the floor.

That had been a nightmare as he had watched her being taken away on a stretcher. She had been so pale and lifeless looking. It had taken all of his self control not to rush to her side. But unknown to anyone else, he had snuck into her hospital room that night and had spent several hours holding her hand, wishing for her to wake up and smile at him.

Serena shook her head. "The doctors said I was fine and there was no lasting damage."

Darien shrugged. "Doctors miss things sometimes. They're not perfect you know."

Serena let out a genuine laugh. "This coming from a guy who wants to be a doctor, that's priceless."

"Hey! I never claimed to be perfect either." Darien said with a grin. Glad to see her laughing again, he offered, "How about we shock Andrew and go to the arcade for a sundae."

That brought a peal of giggles from his blonde companion. "That's mean. He's liable to have a heart attack or something."

"Nah" he countered. "He's young and healthy. He can handle it. So, you up for it?"

"Sure" she answered. "I never turn down ice cream."

He rowed them back to the dock and tied the boat up. He climbed up the short ladder first, and then turned to offer his hand to help her up.

"Careful, it's slippery." he cautioned her as she ascended the steps. She made it up the first two with no problem, but when she went to make the final step up onto the dock, her foot slipped.

For the second time that day, Serena found herself plastered against his chest. She blushed as she looked up to face him. He must think she was such a klutz. She froze however when she saw the look on his face.

Instead of looking annoyed, he was looking down at her with an indulgent smile. Trapped in the depths of his hypnotic eyes, she was unable to look away. She felt like she was in a dream as the look in his eyes turned serious and his face drew closer to hers. He raised one hand to cup her cheek, while the other arm went around her back.

She closed her eyes and rose up on her tiptoes in anticipation, praying that nothing interrupted them this time. His lips drew closer to hers.

Darien didn't care if the sky fell right now. He was getting his kiss from his princess. He closed the last few inches between them and touched his lips to hers.

Serena gasped at the contact. It was slow and tentative at first. But soon she was moving her lips under his, encouraging him, wanting more. His lips parted, and his tongue ventured out, delivering a slow lick to her bottom lip. Then he grasped the lip between his teeth and gently nibbled.

She gave a slight moan as her lips parted, and that was all the encouragement he needed. Deepening the kiss, he let his tongue enter her mouth to rub sensuously against hers.

Serena was lost in a fog of sensation. The touch, the feel, even the smell of him, wrapped around her like a comforting cocoon. And then through the haze in her head, she started seeing pictures in her mind.

She was in a white dress, dancing in the arms of a man. The man had ebony hair and was dressed in a tuxedo, a white mask concealed his eyes.

Then she was standing on a balcony with the same man. He removed his mask to reveal Darien's features, his sapphire blue eyes boring into hers. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I love you." he whispered before kissing her.

Serena gave herself a mental shake, confused by the images she was seeing. She started to pull away from the kiss when suddenly she heard a thump. Darien gave a little jump like he had been hit by something. Seconds later, something came crashing down on her head.

Knocked to the ground, she lay there for a moment, trying to clear her head. Wondering what had happened, she sat up to see a shocking sight.

Darien was sitting on the ground, but the astonishing thing was the little girl that was sitting on his lap.

"Sorry sir. I didn't mean to drop in on you like that." the girl said, her voice muffled by Darien's chest.

"Darien, what happened?" Serena asked uncertainly.

"Darien" the girl whispered as she pulled back to look at the person who had cushioned her fall. Then she turned to face Serena.

Shock was not a strong enough word to describe what Serena felt when she saw the girl's features. Okay, so her hair was pink, and her eyes were a deep maroon color, but other than that she looked just like a smaller version of herself. Right down to the odango hairstyle.

"Huh, you look like me." Serena whispered. Then louder, "That's my hairstyle."

"It's my mother's hairstyle." the girl said, climbing to her feet.

Serena got up too. "I'll have you know that that hairdo is a Serena Tsukino trademark. Didn't your parents teach you any manners? You can't go around jumping on people. It's rude."

A beeping sound came from behind Serena. She turned and gave a startled yelp when she saw a large, round cat's head. It had an antenna of some kind protruding from the top with a small flashing light. It floated up into the air and to the girl's side.

The girl bounced it on the ground a few times before throwing it up in the air. "Luna P, transform." she called out.

The ball burst into a cloud of smoke and transformed into a gun. It landed in the pink haired girl's hand. She then leveled it right at Serena.

"Give me the Silver Crystal." she demanded.

Now Serena was really confused. "Silver Crystal? I don't know what you're talking about."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Sure you don't. I know you have it, now hand it over."

Darien had made his way to his feet also. He came up behind the girl. "Are you lost or something? Do you need help finding your parents?" Inside, he was astounded. Who was this kid? And how did she know about the Silver Crystal?

"Can it lover boy." the small, gun-wielding maniac snapped. "This is between me and Blondie."

Serena let out a frustrated breath. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about, kid. And don't think you can threaten me with a toy gun."

A smirk appeared on the young face. "Are you sure it's a toy?"

"Of course I'm sure. What kind of kid walks around with a real gun?" Serena stated, but she was starting to sound a little unsure.

"Fine, you don't want to listen to reason. That's okay. I have other ways of getting what I want." the pint sized bully said.

Darien had heard enough. He was reaching for the girl's arm when the gun went off with a bang. Serena toppled backward onto the dock.

"Serena" he called out, forgetting about the girl as he rushed to check on his fallen princess.

She lay on her back, with a dart attached to a suction cup planted firmly in the middle of her forehead. She reached up with a shaky hand and pulled it off with a popping sound.

"Ouch. That hurt." she grumbled as she sat up. "Where did that little spore go? I swear, when I get my hands on her…" her voice trailed off as she looked around, but the girl had vanished.

"Okay. I'm not crazy, right? You saw that too, didn't you?" she demanded of Darien.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, we were just ambushed by a psychotic elementary schooler."

"Wow" Serena muttered. "I feel sorry for her parents. That kid was definitely unhinged." She looked around. "I wonder how she managed to jump so high. There's no trees or buildings close by, but I swear she landed right on my head."

Darien glanced at the sky. He had his suspicions about where the child had fallen from, but knew it would sound ridiculous to Serena. Kids didn't just fall from the sky, unless you were dealing with something out of the ordinary. And after the youma attack the night before, this little incident reeked of negaverse activity.

What was worse was the fact that the kid seemed to know exactly who Serena was and the fact that she held the Silver Crystal. That couldn't be good. Serena would need to be watched at all times. He would have to talk with the scouts about it later.

"Darien" a hand waved in front of his face. "Earth to Darien. Are you still in there?"

He blinked and brought his attention back to the petite blonde who was looking at him curiously. "Sorry. Guess I spaced out for a minute."

She shook her head and giggled. "And people call me an airhead. I think someone promised me some ice cream."

He grinned at her. "Yes, I did, didn't I?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He laid a quick, but intense kiss to her lips.

"Come on." he said, leading her off the dock, not noticing the way her eyes darkened for a moment or the small tremor that shook her body.

When his lips had touched hers, she had seen another vision. Unlike the other ones she had experienced, this one bothered her. This time she had been kneeling on the cold stone floor of a cave. In her arms, she held Darien's armor clad body. She was crying as she whispered_ 'No Darien, you can't leave me. I love you.'_

Something about that scene haunted her. She didn't know where it came from, but it felt so real.

Darien turned and noticed her darkened expression and furrowed brow. "Serena, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

Serena looked into his concerned eyes and pushed the thoughts into the back of her mind. She pasted a wide smile on her face. "Yeah, I'm fine. My ice cream awaits. To the arcade."

He chuckled as they continued through the park, on their way to ruin the day of all the people at the arcade who were hoping to see another round in the Serena and Darien battle.

* * *

Diamond sipped from his wine glass as he stared at the vision of Neo Queen Serenity in front of him. He closed his eyes and the image shifted in his mind from the queen that had glared up at him so ruthlessly the day they attacked Crystal Tokyo to the sight of one Serena Tsukino.

The impossibly beautiful blue eyes set in that angelic face softened and looked at him with warmth and friendliness. The air of innocence around her was refreshing. By taking her in the past, before war and the pressures of ruling a kingdom had hardened her somewhat, she would be his to cultivate into the perfect queen.

Oh, he could take her by force, he had no doubt about that. With his magic eye that had been gifted to him by the Wiseman, he could bend her to his will. But he wanted those cerulean eyes to look at him with longing and passion, not stare at him empty and void of emotion. In order to do that, he must win her over.

He smiled to himself as he pictured her in his arms, her lips beneath his. He could even hear her breathless whispers in his ear as he ignited the passion deep within her soul. _'Diamond, my love.'_

He frowned and opened his eyes as he heard the opening of the door. Looking up, he was ready to blast whoever dared disturb him. But he paused as he took in the exhilarated smile on Rubeus's face.

"I'm assuming by your look of happiness that you have a reason for disturbing me Rubeus." the prince asked in a bored tone.

Rubeus nodded enthusiastically. "A short while ago, a time portal from the future opened here in this time. Our readings indicate that only one person came through, a small person, most likely a child."

Diamond's eyes gleamed. "The princess"

"We believe so, Your Highness."

"So" Diamond mused. "The little princess decided to escape from our attack in the future by traveling to the past. I'm sure she has the queen's Silver Crystal with her. I wonder what her purpose here in this time is."

He was quiet for several moments, until a thought struck him. "I bet she's planning on making contact with the sailor scouts in this time and enlisting their help. That could pose a problem for our operation."

Yes, involving the scouts of the past in their battle to take over the future could prove devastating. Not to mention if she got the past forms of her parents involved as well. This child needed to be taken out quickly, before she made contact with Serenity, Endymion, or the scouts.

"Sapphire" Diamond commanded.

The dark haired young man appeared before him. "Yes, my brother."

"It seems we have a problem." Diamond informed him. "The little runaway princess has made her way to this time. I'm fairly certain she going to try to find the scouts of this time to ask for their help. We need to take care of her as quickly as possible."

"Understood. Should I assemble the droids?" Sapphire inquired.

Diamond nodded. "Yes, I don't think youma would be much help in this situation. Droids will be much more effective."

Sapphire gave a small bow. "I'll get on it right away."

Diamond turned to the red haired man still standing before him. "Rubeus, I'm placing this mission in your hands. You and the four sisters will take what droids you need and eliminate that girl. If any of the sailor scouts or that idiot Endymion get in your way, kill them as well. But remember, Serenity is not to be touched."

"I understand, Your Highness." With a bow, Rubeus left the room.

Diamond turned back to the hologram of Neo Queen Serenity. With a wave of his hand, it changed into a vision of Serena, happily eating ice cream while talking to that idiot prince and the other boy she had introduced him to at the school.

A wide smile stretched across his face. "Let the games begin."

* * *

Serena paused as she reached her front door. Spotting her dad's car in the driveway, she knew she should make this quick. She turned to the boy next to her and smiled. "Thanks for everything, Darien. I had a great time."

He grinned back at her. "Yeah, me too. Well except for that one part."

Serena smothered a giggle behind her hand. "I could have done without that too. But other than the psychotic kid, I really enjoyed spending time with you."

Darien put an arm around her. "I'd like to do it again sometime. Would you go out with me again, Serena? I want to take you out on a real date. Dinner, movie, the whole thing."

Serena's eyes grew wide. Today had been just a friendly excursion between friends. Okay, so they kissed a few times. But Serena had thought that nothing more would come out of it. Now, here Darien was asking her out on a real honest to goodness date. It was too good to be true.

"Uh, yeah, sure." she stammered, cursing herself when she felt the warmth of a blush stealing up her cheeks.

His grin broadened. "Great. We'll talk about it later and make plans."

"Okay" Serena replied. "I better go in now. If my dad catches you out here, you're a dead man."

Darien winced. "So I've heard. I'll see you later." He gave her a quick hug and a kiss before turning and walking down the walkway.

Serena stared after him, robotically raising a hand when he turned and waved before heading down the sidewalk. Her mind was full of her latest vision. She had been getting them all afternoon. Sometimes just brushing up against him would bring one on, but the most vivid ones were when they kissed.

In it, Darien was once again clad in armor. She was in the white dress and was sitting on a bench near a fountain. Darien walked toward her and knelt down. He held out his hand and a perfect red rose magically appeared in it.

"For you, Serenity, the princess of my heart." he spoke softly as he handed her the flower.

"Oh Endymion" she sighed as she took it and held it to her nose, breathing in the fragrant scent of the petals. "It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." he whispered as he leaned forward to lay a gentle kiss on her lips.

Serena snapped out of the vision with a gasp. _'Where in the world did that come from?'_ she wondered to herself as she pushed open the front door and stepped inside. Sighing, she began climbing the stairs to her room.

She opened her bedroom door thinking, _'Maybe I have time for a nap before dinner. A good snooze might make these crazy images get out of my head.' _Then she looked up and saw the craziest thing of all.

While her bedroom wasn't spic and span, she usually kept it fairly neat and presentable. Now it looked as if a hurricane had ripped through, shredding everything in its path. Clothes had been torn from her closet and drawers and thrown around the room. Her books and manga had been tossed on the floor from the shelves where she kept them. Her jewelry box had been dumped out and the contents scattered across her vanity table.

There was steam practically visible billowing from Serena's ears as her temper rose. There was only one person who could have done this. "Sammy!" she screeched as she tore back out of the room and flew down the stairs.

She halted at the sight of her brother sitting in front of the coffee table in the living room. He looked up at her with an astonished expression on his face.

"What's your damage, Serena?" he demanded.

That was it. She lost it. "You little maggot! How dare you trash my room? "

"What are you talking about, you idiot? I haven't been in your room." he yelled back.

Serena fumed. "So I guess it decided to rearrange itself on its own then?"

"Serena, Sammy, stop that screaming this instant." their mother's voice came from the door leading to the kitchen. "What a horrible way to act when we have company. I thought I had taught you two better than that."

"Company?" Serena muttered as she turned toward the door. She threw herself up against the wall at the sight of the little pink haired terror from the park standing next to her mother.

"What is she doing here?" she squealed.

"Serena" her mother admonished. "Don't tell me you forgot that your cousin Rini was coming to stay with us for a while."

_'Cousin Rini'_ Serena searched her brain several times and came up with the same answer each time. Both of her parents were only children, so they didn't have any cousins at all, much less a cousin named Rini. Something was definitely off here. She'd definitely remember if she was related to that little hellion.

"What is going on around here?" she wailed.

"Lower the decibels Meatball Head." Sammy said, clamping his hands over his ears.

Serena fought down an internal rage at that. Damn Darien for starting that ridiculous nickname. First Raye had caught on to using it, and then Sammy had overheard it and he had been tormenting her with it every since.

She stomped her foot in frustration. "Since when do we have a cousin named Rini?"

Her father had been sitting quietly on the couch all this time, but now he spoke up. "Honey, don't you remember? She came and visited us last summer. Look, she even brought her photo album with her pictures in it from last time."

Serena stepped forward and looked at the book that was lying on the table. Stunned, she saw photos of herself and her family with the little brat. "Is the whole world going crazy, or is it just me?" she said out loud.

"Maybe you should go take a nap dear." her mother said consolingly, patting her on the arm.

"Yeah, then we can catch up." Rini said innocently.

Serena shot a look at the girl in disbelief. Rini smiled at her until the others in the room turned away. Then she smirked and stuck out her tongue.

"Catch up." Serena muttered. "That's what I'm going to turn you into, ketchup, you little spore." She lunged at the girl, who quickly retreated behind Ilene.

"Serena, that's no way to treat our guest." Ilene exclaimed. "Go to your room."

Serena turned and stomped up the stairs. She slammed her door shut behind her, making the cat curled up on the bed jump at the noise.

"I can't believe that little brat. Coming in here and going through my things. Just who the hell is she? And how did she trick my family into thinking she's related to us?" All of this was muttered while she began picking things up and returning them to their rightful places.

Luna watched her young charge as she stalked around the room. In reality, she had been woken up when Serena had entered the room the first time. Surprised at the destruction around her, she had snuck to the top of the stairs and had heard the conversation that had taken place. When she heard Serena coming back up, she had quickly run back into the bedroom and curled up, feigning sleep.

"I guess you slept through the entire thing, huh Luna?" Serena suddenly asked, turning furious eyes on the cat. "Couldn't you have woken up long enough to bite or scratch her or something?"

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but caught herself just in time. Instead, she gave an offended "Meow" and jumped out the window to the tree branch outside. She needed to talk to the scouts about this.

"Yeah, yeah, run away you fleabag." Serena growled as she began hanging her clothes back in her closet.

* * *

Darien looked at the four stunned girls sitting around the table. He had just finished telling them about his and Serena's adventure at the park with the gun-toting girl. Silence reigned for a few minutes as they all processed what he had just said.

"She specifically asked for the Silver Crystal?" Amy finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Darien nodded. "Not only that, but she seemed to know exactly who Serena was and that she would have it."

"But how would she know about the crystal?" Mina asked.

Lita shrugged. "That's the million dollar question. Maybe she's from the negaverse."

"I don't know about that." Darien interjected. "I thought so too at first. But now that I think back, the kid seemed more desperate than dangerous."

"Maybe the fire can tell me something." Raye said, standing. She was walking toward the door to the fire room when the phone began ringing. Looking at the caller ID, she sighed. "Speak of the devil. It's Serena." She answered the phone. "Hello."

She jerked the phone away from her ear, and everyone else in the room jumped, as a loud wailing sound came through the earpiece. That was all that was heard for a few minutes until the level finally dropped.

Raye slowly put the phone back up to her ear. "Serena, what's wrong?" she asked. This brought on a fresh wave of wails, but somewhat lower than before.

Raye groaned in frustration. "Calm down, you meatball brain. I can't understand a word you're saying."

The rest of the group watched as Raye began listening to whatever Serena was telling her. A few minutes later her eyes widened and she shrieked. "What! Hold on a sec. The others are here too. I'm going to put you on speaker so you can tell all of us at the same time."

She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. "You guys have got to hear this. Darien, keep quiet. She'll wonder why you're here."

She pushed a button on the phone and sat it on the table. "Okay Serena, now we can all hear you. Tell everyone else what you told me."

A sniffle came from the phone, and then a tear soaked voice. "I went with Darien to the park today."

Mina looked up and winked at Darien who grinned at her before turning their attention back to Serena's voice.

She repeated the same story Darien had told them about the mysterious girl who had crashed down on them at the park. The girls all made sympathetic sounds like it was their first time hearing it until she reached the end.

Then a long sigh was heard over the speaker. "That isn't the weirdest thing though. I get home and my room is totally trashed. Stuff was thrown everywhere. I figured my stupid brother was playing a joke on me, so I went downstairs to yell at him." She stopped to take a deep breath.

"Keep going." Raye encouraged her

"So anyway, I'm screaming at Sammy when my mother comes walking in with that same kid." she stated.

"What?!" the four girls exclaimed. Darien slapped a hand over his mouth to keep his outburst held back.

"Yeah" the voice from the phone said. "She's tricked my family into thinking she's my cousin. I don't even have a cousin. It's like some science fiction brainwashing or something. She even has pictures of all of us together from where she says she visited before. They can't be real."

The five teens around the table looked at each other. This sounded way beyond serious.

"Can you get one of the pictures and bring it over here?" Raye asked. "The fire picks up on evil auras. Maybe it can tell us something."

"No, not tonight." Serena replied glumly. "I'm kinda under house arrest for the night. I threatened to murder the little cockroach and my mom got mad. I'll try to get one and come over in the morning though."

"Okay, we'll meet here in the morning then." Raye answered.

The other girls sounded their agreement, and then they heard another voice over the line.

"Serena, are you on the phone?" It was her mother. "I told you, no phone calls tonight. I want you to go downstairs and apologize to your cousin this minute."

"I gotta go." she mumbled. "I'll see you guys later. Bye."

There was a click and the line went dead.

Darien jumped to his feet. "I'm going over there. There's no way I'm leaving her alone with a potential enemy." He opened the door and pulled up short.

Luna and Artemis were standing on the other side.

"Back inside." Luna commanded. "We've got to talk."

* * *

Serena sighed as she came out of her bathroom dressed in her nightgown. _'What a day.'_ she thought. What had started off being a wonderful day had quickly gone downhill. Well, at least all of it wasn't bad.

A smile touched her lips as she thought about the time she had spent with Darien. She had always suspected that his cool exterior had been hiding a different person inside, but she had never guessed at how sweet and caring he could be.

She glanced over at her clock, 10:45. Maybe that wasn't too late to call him. It was a Saturday night after all, and he had told her he usually kept late hours. Her parents were already in bed, Sammy was in his room, and the little intruder was tucked away in the guest room.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number that Darien had given her that afternoon. At the first ring, she panicked and almost hung up. But she held on the line and after the third ring, she heard someone pick up.

"Hello" his deep, smoky voice answered.

"Hi" she said shyly, letting his voice wash over her in comforting waves.

"Well, well, how did you know I was just thinking about you?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I…I didn't." she stammered. "I just want to call and tell you something. I would have called sooner, but I got in trouble earlier and I'm not allowed to use the phone."

His chuckle sounded in her ear. "I already heard about your little houseguest. I ran into the girls earlier and they told me."

"Oh" she exclaimed. "Well Raye's going to try to do a fire reading in the morning. I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"Sure" he replied. "I've got some errands to take care of in the morning, but I'll try to get there as soon as I can."

Serena sighed. "Sounds good."

"That kid hasn't tried to do anything to you, has she?" he asked with concern.

"No" she answered. "She cornered me in the bathroom earlier and kept asking about a silver crystal. I don't know what she's talking about. But honestly, I don't think she means any harm. She just seems confused."

"Hmm…maybe." he mused. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Yeah" she muttered. "Well I guess I better go. If I get caught on the phone, I'll be grounded for life."

"We can't have that." he said with a laugh. "We have a date to plan. One of many I hope."

She gave a nervous giggle. "Right. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." he said with a sigh.

"Bye" she whispered.

"Sweet dreams" he replied.

She hung up the phone and walked over to her window, never seeing the young man clad in a tuxedo that was hidden in the branches of the tree right outside. He smiled as he flipped a cell phone closed and slid it into his pocket.

When she suddenly appeared in the window, he pulled back into the shadows to make sure he was hidden. She raised the glass and sat down on the window seat.

His breath caught as he took in the vision of her sitting there. Moonlight bathed her, making her appear to glow with an ethereal light. Dressed in a sheer white nightgown, she looked just like the princess he remembered her being.

Settling into a comfortable position, he just enjoyed drinking in the sight of her. If he had only known of another pair of lust filled eyes that were focused on the unknowing moon princess, maybe he could have prepared himself for what was to come.

**A/N **Okay, that's all I've got for now. I hope it wasn't too big of a disappointment. I'll try to post again as quickly as possible, but I'm really wrapped up with school and stuff right now. I'm also in the middle of writing some of the more difficult scenes of Lunar Princess, but this is a nice little distraction for when I get frustrated with my other story and I'm tempted to scrap the whole project. Remember, reviews make me smile :) . Later!

Sere-chan


	5. Two Moon Princesses?

**Author's Rant – **First off I want to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. It makes me feel so happy to be able to share the strange ideas that pop into my head with other people. I'm sorry that you have had to wait so long for the update, and I thought you all deserved to know why. There are two reasons behind this.

**#1-** I have been ridiculously busy lately, and honestly I have been devoting much of my writing time to my other story The Lunar Princess of the Earth. I know that is probably a poor excuse, but any of you that are also reading that one know that we are getting deep into it now. I will try not to neglect this one so long again.

**#2- **This is the big one. I explained at the beginning that this was an old story of mine that I was editing and redoing. After I posted chapter 2, I started receiving messages from someone (who will remain nameless) accusing me of stealing this story because they read it a couple of years ago on another site. I wrote back to this person and explained to them that yes, they had read it before because I had published it 2 years ago on another fan fiction site and that the story was mine. The messages escalated after chapter 3 and then became right out rude after the 4th chapter was posted. I won't go into details, but I will say this:

I may not be a great writer, but I enjoy what I do. I admit that I was tempted to scrap this story, especially when this person also began attacking Lunar Princess as well. But I have received so many messages from you guys that asked for me to continue, that I feel that I can overcome this blow and keep writing on this. So to this person I say, "In your face. Say what you want about me, but I love my stories and I will continue to write!" :P

Okay know that I've got that off my chest, back to business. BIG HUGS to:

**ange de l'aube**

**Beloved Dawn**

**James Birdsong**

**Jacks**

**xo Usako ox**

**angel313 **

**snoopykid **

**MoonlightSonata87**

**JungkO**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**luna345**

**usagigirl11 **

**torquoisepeanutbutter**

Thank you guys, so much. And I hope you are still reading this story. Now let's move on.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 5

Two Moon Princesses?

"What do you mean the fire isn't telling you anything?" Serena screeched. "Are you sure you're doing it right?"

Raye shook her head in agitation. "Yes I'm doing it right you meatball head. The fire isn't telling me anything because there is no evil associated with this picture."

Amy picked up the photo in question. "It does look to be genuine. If this has been tampered with, it's hard to tell."

"Are you sure she's not a relative? Maybe a distant one perhaps?" Mina said, trying to sound helpful.

Serena glared at the other blonde. "Quite sure Mina. I think I can remember who the members of my family are, and she's not one of them."

"There's also the fact that she came out of nowhere and crashed into you and Darien. That's suspicious." Lita commented.

"By the way," drawled Mina slyly. "How did she manage to fall on both of you at the same time? What were you doing that had you two so close together?"

Serena blushed a violent shade of red. "That's none of your business." she muttered.

"Oooo" the other girls teased as they all made their way out of the fire room and back to Raye's room.

Serena dropped onto a cushion on the floor and tried to cool her flushed cheeks. She thought back to what she and Darien had talked about the day before while they had been on the boat.

"Maybe I am going crazy." she shook her head and stared at her friends with teary eyes. "Darien says I'm not, but I think I am."

The four other girls looked at each other in shock. They had never heard their best friend and leader talk like this before.

Raye sat down next to her and put an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Serena, you might be a klutzy, whiny meatball head, but I can promise you that you are not going crazy."

"How can you say that, Raye?" Serena wailed. "You don't know what's been going on in my head lately. I am missing large chunks of time out of my memories. Hours of every day for the last six months have disappeared. I can't remember Thursday at all. It's like I went to sleep Wednesday night and woke up Friday morning."

"Well Serena, you did have that accident in gym a while back." Amy said.

"Yeah, yeah." Serena said with a wave of her hand. "Darien brought up that possibility too. But I don't think that's it. I feel like I've forgotten something important, something that I need to remember."

The girls looked around at each other, unsure what to say. They couldn't just come right out and say, _"You're Sailor Moon. You've spent the last several months fighting the negaverse. You're also the moon princess, and when you won the final battle you used the Silver Crystal to erase your memories of it.'_

The door to Raye's room slid open to reveal her grandfather. He held a tray of tea and muffins before him.

"Hello, girls." he called out cheerfully. "I thought you might like some refreshments."

"You wanted to come ogle my friends, you mean." Raye muttered, getting up and going to get the tray from him. "Thanks grandpa, but we're having girl time right now. We'll see you later."

She slid the door shut. "Sorry about that, you guys. I don't know why I had to end up with the grandfather that's a pervert."

A round of giggles went through the room. It was common knowledge that Raye's grandfather appreciated looking at women of any age and he wasn't above flirting with them, even the young ones.

Serena picked up a muffin and began nibbling on it while the others helped themselves to tea. Her head was starting to hurt from trying to figure out what was wrong with her lately.

"Maybe I'm not going insane, but something's definitely going on." she said, taking another bite of her muffin. "My mother keeps looking at me like I've grown a second head every time I do something. I even get the feeling that my cat is watching me, which totally creeps me out. Then this wacko kid running around. I'm telling you, something's up."

Serena suddenly realized how quiet the room had become and looked up at her friends. A sharp gasp left her as she saw that they had all passed out. She jumped to her feet, wondering what she should do, when she heard a noise outside the door. An instinct she didn't even know she possessed had her moving to the corner of the room to hide until she could see who it was.

A gasp almost left her as she saw the door slide open and a small, pink haired head poked in. After observing the unconscious girls, the rest of the little body came into view.

"Good. It worked." the little troublemaker whispered as she began to walk across the room.

'_That little brat! I should have known she was behind this.'_ Serena fumed to herself. Coming out of the corner, she grabbed the kid by the arm.

"Hello, _cousin._" she said sarcastically. "I haven't figured out where you came from yet, but around here you can't go around poisoning people."

The girl struggled in her grasp. "I didn't poison anyone." she squealed. "It's just a sleeping potion. I needed to get in here and look around. It wears off in just a few minutes, I swear."

"I don't care what it is." Serena said angrily. "You don't go around putting things in people's drinks. Your parents must not have taught you very well. What are you doing snooping around my friend's room for anyway?"

Rini glared at her. "It's none of your business. I'm not telling you anything."

"You wanna bet" Serena replied, hauling the smaller girl off her feet and securing the squirming body in one arm. "Evidently no one has ever disciplined you." Her hand came down and connected with the girl's butt with a sharp smack."

"Owww" Rini wailed. Tears began flowing from her eyes and down her cheeks. "Stop it, Serena."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Serena said, pausing with her hand in the air.

Rini sucked in a deep breath. "I'm not telling." she said belligerently.

"Too bad." Serena told her, and delivered another swat to the girl's rump. She wasn't really hitting her hard, just enough to get her attention.

A couple of swats later Rini began howling at the top of her lungs. Serena gasped as a soft golden glow began to come from the girl. She quickly dropped her to the floor and backed away until she was up against a wall.

"What in the world was that?" she muttered to herself a minute later when the glowing stopped and revealed a whimpering Rini crouched down on floor. Serena opened her mouth to question her, but was interrupted by another voice.

"Ah ha! I finally tracked you down, you annoying little rabbit." the voice said gleefully. "Now princess, give me the crystal."

A woman was standing in the doorway. She had long wavy, dark hair that had a purplish tint to it. Serena vaguely thought she looked like she had just walked out of a circus. She was wearing what looked like a skintight body suit and leotards with an enormously poofy tutu over that. It was a scene that Serena would have laughed at any other time, but right now the woman was glaring maliciously at Rini.

Rini stared at the woman with frightened eyes. The girl was obviously terrified and Serena felt her heart soften toward her a little bit. She might be an annoying little spore, but this was unfair. A grown woman had no business picking on a little kid.

"What do you want?" Serena said, getting the woman's attention.

Amethyst eyes were turned on her as she spoke. Serena wasn't sure, but she almost thought she saw a fleeting moment of fear flit through them as they appraised her.

"My name is Katzy." the woman replied. "I have been sent by Prince Diamond of the Black Moon to capture this runaway and retrieve something that she has that we need."

An unusual feeling of courage welled up inside of Serena. She took a step toward the woman. "Well, does what she has belong to you?"

"No, it doesn't." Rini said shakily. "It belongs to my mother and you can't have it. I don't have it anyway."

"Sure you don't kid." Katzy sneered. "That crystal disappeared at the same time you did, so you must have it. Now give it up before I have to hurt you."

"No way!" Rini yelled. "Even if I did have it, I would never give my mommy's crystal to you bad people."

Katzy smirked. "Have it your way then." Blue flames suddenly erupted from her hands.

Using the speed that she had built up from her morning marathons to school, Serena rushed across the room and pushed Rini out of the way. "Get out of here, Rini. Run." she whispered to the girl, shoving her past Katzy and through the open doorway.

Rini didn't need to be told twice. She ran as fast as her short little legs could carry her.

Katzy turned a cold gaze on Serena. "You stay out of my way. I don't need you complicating things." Then she took off in pursuit of the girl.

Serena stood there for a moment, unconsciously gripping the broach that was in her pants pocket. She didn't know why, but she felt an overwhelming need to keep it with her at all times. Shaking herself out of the daze that she had fallen into, she took off after them. For some reason, she felt a deep need to protect Rini.

She tore out of the room and took off in the direction that she hand seen Rini run in, hoping she could catch up to her before that psycho woman did. Her hopes were dashed when she rounded the corner of one of the temple buildings and saw Rini laying unconscious on the ground, the woman was hovering over her several feet off the ground.

"Well that was easy enough." Katzy said out loud to herself. "I don't see any reason to drag the brat back with me. I'll just dispose of her now and take the crystal back myself."

Serena panicked as the blue flames erupted from Katzy's hands once again. Not stopping to think about her actions, she ran over to the little girl and threw herself on top of her in an attempt to shield her from the attack. She felt a burning sensation on her forehead, and then everything went black.

* * *

Darien cursed as he ran down the street toward the Cherry Hill Temple. He couldn't believe that he had slept through his alarm. True, he had stayed outside of Serena's bedroom window until almost dawn when Sailor Venus had relieved him, but he was used to getting by on little sleep. The important thing was that he had told Serena that he would be there when Raye did the fire reading, and now he was impossibly late.

For the last several blocks, he had been feeling an anxiety that wasn't his, and it bothered him. He could tell that Serena was upset. Had Raye picked up on something about this mysterious girl?

A sudden jolt of fear almost brought him to his knees. Kicking his speed into high gear, he bolted up the long stairway to the temple, needing to see Serena and be assured that she was okay.

Dashing across the courtyard, he leapt up onto the porch that surrounded the temple. His first indication that something was wrong was the sight of Raye's miniature grandfather lying still on the ground. Checking the man quickly, he confirmed that he was alive and breathing, just unconscious.

Leaving the man there, he hurried around the corner. His heart was pounding in his chest as he spied the open door to Raye's bedroom. When he reached the door and looked inside, the pounding of his heart stopped all together.

Raye, Amy, Lita, and Mina were all slumped over the table in the center of the room. They all appeared to have passed out. Glancing around wildly, Darien's worst fears were confirmed. Serena was nowhere to be seen.

Entering the room, Darien quickly began shaking each of them. "Come on girls, wake up."

Several moans were heard and eyes began fluttering open. Dazed and disoriented, they stared around at each other before focusing on the panicked earth prince that was standing before them.

"Oh man, what happened?" Lita grumbled as she put a hand to her temple.

Darien growled low in his throat. "That's what I wish one of you would tell me. Where's Serena? She was supposed to be here with you."

"Serena is here." Mina mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Removing her hands, she took another look around. "At least she was."

"Okay, I'm wigging out here." Raye said. "We were all sitting here having tea and talking. Serena was right here with us. The next thing I know, you are shaking us all awake."

Darien ran an agitated hand through his hair. "So what you're saying is that she just disappeared?"

"Just give me second." Amy demanded, pulling out her Mercury computer and typing swiftly. A few seconds later, there was a tiny beep and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's still here on the grounds." she told the others. "She's over behind the main building."

Darien spun for the door, but had only taken two steps when a familiar burning sensation began in his chest. It was the feeling he always got when Serena transformed into Sailor Moon.

"What the…" he began, but was cut off by Amy's computer letting out a long series of beeps.

Amy stared at the screen, her blue eyes incredibly wide. "This is impossible." she whispered.

"What's impossible?" Mina demanded.

Just then the ground rocked beneath them and the outside lit up with a brilliant flash of light.

Amy jumped to her feet. "That was the Silver Crystal!" she exclaimed.

Darien ran from the room. The feeling in his chest was telling him that Serena was in serious trouble. He quit fighting the sensations and let his transformation wash over him. Behind him he heard the girls calling out their transformations, but he didn't stick around. Serena needed him now, and he wasn't wasting any time.

He pushed off from the ground and with a mighty leap landed on the roof of the bathhouse. Never breaking stride, he ran to the edge and jumped again, this time he landed on top of the temple's main building. He heard footsteps behind him and knew that the scouts were close by.

He quickly scaled the steep roof to the peak. When he reached the top, he stopped and peered cautiously over to the other side. A sharp gasp left him as he took in the sight before him. He stared in shock, barely aware of the startled exclamations of the sailor scouts as they joined him.

The whole area was bathed in a soft silver light. A woman with purple hair and a very unusual outfit was on the ground, visibly cringing away from the figure in front of her.

Serena, no not Serena, Serenity stood before her. Dressed in her long, flowing white gown, her golden crescent shown brightly on her forehead. She glared at the fallen woman with wide blue eyes that shown with contempt. In her arms she cradled Rini's small body.

The voice that she spoke with was not the voice of the cheerful, carefree Serena. It sounded older and much more mature.

"Katzy" she ground out. "You are despicable for attacking a defenseless child. If I could, I would blast you away into nothingness. As it is, I want you to run back to your precious prince and tell him that if he wants her, he's going to have to go through me first. I don't care what time period it's in. If this child is harmed by him in any way, there is nothing in this universe that will stop me from seeking my revenge."

The woman on the ground said nothing. She just stared in horrified fascination for a moment before disappearing quietly.

The little girl in the princess's arms stirred and blinked open her maroon eyes. She gazed in wonder at the girl holding her. "Mommy" she whispered.

Serenity leaned her head down and placed a kiss on Rini's brow. The onlookers gasped again as a bright crescent mark appeared on her forehead as well. The little dress she was wearing melted away to reveal a white gown that matched Serenity's own. They saw their lips moving in speech, but were too far away to hear what they were saying.

"Sweetheart" Serenity said softly. "I need you to be strong now. Sailor Moon is in great peril, though she doesn't know it. It's up to you to find her and revive her. She is the only hope for saving our home. Promise me that you will help her."

"I will mommy." Rini sniffled. "I miss you."

Serenity smiled at her. "I miss you too. Be brave my darling. I know you can do this. Your father and I have complete trust in you and are awaiting your safe return."

The glow around them was beginning to fade. "Mommy, stay with me." Rini cried.

Serenity shook her head gently. "I wish I could, but I must return to our time now. I'll see you soon. Remember, mommy loves you."

The glow vanished and the gowns and crescent moons faded away. Serena stood there for a moment with blank eyes before they rolled back in her head and she began to wilt to the ground, Rini still in her arms.

Moving swiftly, Tuxedo Mask jumped to the ground and rushed to them. He caught them before they hit the ground and lowered them gently.

Checking for Serena's pulse, he was relieved to feel the steady beat underneath his fingers. The scouts joined him around their fallen princess, anxiously asking questions.

"Is she okay?"

"Is she breathing?"

"What happened?"

Mercury pulled out her computer quickly, and sighed in relief. "She's fine. They both are. But they both seem to have a significant amount of Silver Crystal power still surrounding them."

"What in the hell just happened here?" Darien demanded. "How was she able to do what she just did?"

"It was my mommy." a small muffled voice said.

They all looked down at the girl that was huddled up against Serena's chest. They had thought that she was unconscious like Serena, but now that could see that her shoulders were shaking and hear the sound of tiny sobs. She lifted teary, red-rimmed eyes to face them.

"My mommy unleashed the power of the Silver Crystal and scared that bad lady away. But now she left again." she whimpered.

"What a load of bull." Mars exclaimed heatedly. "We were all right here. We saw what happened. The only other people that were here was that weirdo freak, you, and Serena."

Rini clenched her fists. "I'm not lying, Raye!" she screamed.

They all froze in shock. Mars just stood there for a moment with her mouth open before whispering, "How did you…?"

Rini climbed off of Serena and got to her feet. "I know who all of you are. Raye is Sailor Mars, Amy is Sailor Mercury, Lita is Sailor Jupiter, and Mina is Sailor Venus."

She then turned to Tuxedo Mask, her eyes filling with tears again. "Darien is Tuxedo Mask."

Tuxedo Mask didn't know why, but the sight of the tear-streaked face in front of him touched him deeply. Without thinking he reached out and took her hand and pulled her to him.

The moment they made contact, a vision flashed before his eyes. There was a large sprawling city that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. At the center was an enormous crystal tower. Suddenly the sky darkened and bolts of dark energy slammed into the earth. The ground shook and buildings crumbled as a large dark crystal seemed to rise from the depths of the planet.

He shook his head as the vision faded. As awareness returned, he realized he was now clutching Rini tightly to his chest as she shook in his arms.

Her little head rose so she could stare seriously into his eyes. "You saw it, didn't you?" You saw what those bad people did to my home."

He was shaken. "Is that what that was?"

She nodded. "Those bad people attacked the city where I live. My mommy and daddy tried to fight, but they got hurt. I didn't want to leave, but my mommy's friends told me I had to stay safe. They said that I had to come here and find Sailor Moon and the sailor scouts to help me."

She began crying again and buried her face in Tuxedo Mask's chest. "But everything is so messed up." she hiccupped. "Those mean people followed me, and Sailor Moon doesn't remember who she is. I have to have the power of the Silver Crystal to save my parents."

They all stood in silence, not knowing what to say to comfort the upset girl. A low moan broke the awkward moment as Serena began stirring.

"We'll talk about this later, Rini." Mercury said quickly. "I think we better change back to our civilian forms before she comes to. She'll probably flip if she wakes up and finds herself surrounded by the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask."

Several lights flashed as the girls changed back into their everyday appearances. Tuxedo Mask waited a moment before sighing and letting his transformation go as well. For a moment he had been tempted to stay in his alter ego form thinking that maybe if she saw him as Tuxedo Mask, her memories would return.

But then the sound of her voice when she made that wish on the Silver Crystal filtered through his head. She wanted a normal life, and she deserved it. Even if they were facing a new enemy, she didn't have to fight. That's why she had her guardians and protector. They were just going to have to step up and ensure her safety.

He knelt down beside her and took her hand in his as she let out another soft moan and her eyes fluttered open. She stared at him in confusion for a moment before recollection flickered through the sky blue depths.

She sat up and flung herself at Darien, wrapping her arms around his neck like a vice. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, and he felt the hot tears that poured from her eyes.

"Hey" he whispered soothingly as he held her trembling body close. "It's okay."

She pulled back to look at him. "What happened? The last thing I remember was this freaky woman showing up and then…" she broke off abruptly and began looking around.

"Where's Rini?" she shrieked. "Did that woman get her? Where did she go?"

Rini stepped out from behind Raye. "I'm right here, Serena."

Serena jumped to her feet and stomped quickly over to the girl. Rini cringed back, fearful that Serena was horribly mad at her. She was pleasantly surprised instead, when Serena scooped her up in her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Oh thank goodness." Serena mumbled against her hair. "I thought for sure that devil woman had carried you off."

Uh Serena?" Raye said softly. "A half an hour ago you couldn't stand this girl, and now you're fawning all over her."

"Hey" Serena snapped. "That was before I found out she has some serious issues. She's obviously here for a reason. I can't stand the fact that a full grown adult would stoop so low as to pick on a little kid. That's just sick."

Everyone stared at her, open mouthed. This wasn't the ditzy, klutzy Serena they knew. The girl standing in front of them was the pure embodiment of Sailor Moon, even if she didn't know it. Willing to stand up and fight for others.

She sat Rini on her feet and took her hand in hers. "Just stick with me kid, I won't let anyone bully you around."

A bright smile lit up Rini's face and she clasped Serena's hand tightly in both of hers.

Serena returned the smile and affectionately ruffled the pink hair. "I guess we better get home. It's still early. I bet mom still has breakfast on the table."

The little girl nodded her agreement enthusiastically. "Okay, let's go. I'm starved."

Serena looked shyly at Darien. "Do you have time to walk us home?"

As if he was letting her go by herself. "Sure, I've got time."

He took Rini's other hand in his, and the three of them began walking away.

"I'll see you guys later." Serena called over her shoulder to the girls.

They called out their farewells and waved. Each of them noticed the look that Darien shot their way. He would be back. They had a lot to talk about.

"Ohh" Mina cooed. "Look at them. They look like a cozy little family out for stroll. Isn't it sweet?"

Lita rolled her eyes and Amy just shook her head. Raye let out a groan and reached over to yank on a lock of the long blonde hair.

"Ouch" Mina squealed. "What was that for?"

Raye glared at her. "For being an airhead. We've got a big problem on our hands and you're standing there envisioning fairy tales in your head. Our princess could be in grave danger."

"I know that." Mina huffed. "I was just taking a moment to enjoy that little scene. I know what my duty is. I've been a sailor scout longer than any of you, remember?"

"All right you two, break it up." Lita exclaimed, stepping in between the two girls. "We have other things to think about right now."

"Right" Mina said, shooting one last dirty look at Raye. "We need to figure out who this new enemy is."

"I think that kid Rini is the key to all of this." Raye grumbled. "Did you guys see the crescent moon on her forehead earlier? I thought only the members of the lunar royal family had that mark."

"They are." Amy said, pulling her computer back out. "Only the descendants of Selene, the moon goddess, carry that symbol."

"So do you think she's a member of the royal family?" Lita asked.

Amy shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"It could be a trick by the enemy." Raye growled.

"No, I don't think so." Amy disputed. "Earlier you said the fire picked up no negative vibes, right?"

Raye nodded "There was no distortion in the fire when I meditated on the photo. It seemed purely genuine."

"And if there was anything evil about that girl, you would have picked up on it in her aura." Amy said. "Come here for a second guys. I want to show you something."

They all crowded around the blue haired girl as she typed on her computer.

"Okay" she finally said. "This is a scan from earlier, it shows Serena and Rini before Serena collapsed." The screen lit up with a fuzzy image.

"The blurriness is caused by the power of the Silver Crystal." she told them. "If I take that away, we clearly see the two of them." She hit a few buttons and the picture cleared to show an outline of Serena and Rini.

"Now if I do this," she clicked a few more buttons and Serena's image lit up silver. "it brings up Serena's energy signature. Each one of us has our own personal signature. None of us are the same. Now watch."

A few keystrokes later Rini's image lit up as well. It was the same bright silver as Serena's. The girl's gasped.

"What does that mean?" Raye asked.

"Yeah, I thought you said we were each different, but they look exactly alike." Lita replied.

"What is she, like a clone or something?" was Mina's response.

Amy shook her head. "No, not a clone. All the readings point to the fact that she's a member of the royal family and has been blessed by the power of the Silver Crystal."

"So she could have been on the moon with us in the past and been reincarnated like the rest of us." Raye mused.

Amy clicked the computer shut. "Anything's possible. I'm afraid the only way to find out will be to talk to Rini and find out her story."

* * *

In the cold, silent city in the future, the man's ghostly figure rose from where it had been kneeling next to the crystal casket. A short while before, it had been glowing with a silver light. Now the light had faded and the sleeping woman inside of it was still lying motionless within it.

He reached out a transparent hand and trailed it along the area where her cheek was. How he wished she were awake and that he was in his body so that he could touch her for real. When the crystal had begun glowing, he knew what it had meant. He had stood vigil by her side the entire time, speaking words of encouragement that he knew she could not hear.

"Well my love," he whispered softly. "I'm assuming that you delivered your message to our daughter and saved her from harm. Now I pray that events unfold as they are meant to. All of our hopes rest on her reviving Sailor Moon. We need her help if we are to overcome this obstacle and reclaim our lives."

He gazed at the smooth face of his wife with loving eyes. "I'm sure she'll do fine. She has too much of you in her. She's a fighter and won't give up on anything. But I can't help waiting for the day she's home and in our arms once more."

He let out a sigh and leaned forward to press his ghostly lips to the crystal. Kissing it lightly, he smiled down at her. "Rest now. You've done your part. Now it's my turn. I wish I didn't have to cause this grief, but it's imperative for the timeline to progress as it was meant to be."

A swirling portal opened behind him and a tall woman stepped through. Dressed in a sailor fuku, she had long moss green hair and deep garnet eyes. She took in the sight of the partially visible grieving man in front of her and sighed.

"Excuse me sire…" she began cautiously.

"I know Pluto." he said with one last lingering look at his sleeping queen. "I know what I have to do. Just promise me that you will watch the timeline carefully. There are so many little things that could upset the balance."

"Of course, Your Highness." Pluto said with a low bow.

He gave the sailor scout before him a sad smile. "You know, Serenity would chastise you for being so formal, Trista. We've never seen you or any of the other scouts as our subjects. You are our friends, our family. That's where we get our strength. We need that now more than ever."

She returned his sad smile with one of her own. "I'm sorry, Endymion. Habits developed over thousands of years are hard to break. But you're right. Serenity would be put out with me."

Endymion gave a forced chuckle before turning serious once again. "Well I have work to do, and so do you. Besides watching the timeline, I ask you to keep an eye on Small Lady. My past self and the others are going to demand answers. She'll need your help with that."

Pluto agreed. "That's where I was about to head. I just wanted to check in with you before I left."

He nodded. "I wish there was another way to do this. I hated hurting her then. Even knowing how it all turned out doesn't make this any easier."

Pluto's gazed sympathetically at the almost broken man in front of her. "It must be done Darien." she told him gently, but firmly. "This is for both yours and Serena's sakes."

His head jerked up at her words. He wasn't surprised by what she said, but at her use of their civilian names that only their closest friends used nowadays.

He gave her a grin. Even though he was in a holographic form, she could she the light of living spark back to life in his eyes.

"You're right, Trista. Now let's get to work. We have our past and our future to save." he said determinedly.

"I'm glad to see the true king of Crystal Tokyo finally decided to make an appearance." she couldn't help but joke. She waved her hand and a portal opened. "I'm off to the twentieth century. Good luck."

"You too." he told her as she stepped through the portal and vanished.

* * *

Monday morning dawned bright and sunny. Serena got up and got ready for school. She had had a wonderful night's sleep and felt well rested and ready to take on the day.

As she pulled a brush through her long golden hair, she thought about the dream she had. It had been like a fantasy. She had been at a ball, dressed in a beautiful white gown. Darien had been there too, looking quite dashing in a black tuxedo.

They had danced together, and Serena felt like she floating on air. He had spun her elegantly across the floor, dipping and twirling her in time to the most beautiful music. As it ended, she had reached up and pulled off the mask that was covering his eyes and lost herself in their ocean blue depths.

He had pulled her tightly against his body and had leaned down to whisper huskily in her ear, "I love you." Then he kissed her deeply. She felt her toes curl up even now remembering that kiss.

"Serena, are you up?" her mother's voice floated up from downstairs.

She answered back. "Yes mom, I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay honey. I've got breakfast on the table." Ilene informed her.

Those were the magic words. Serena quickly twisted her hair up into her trademark buns and grabbed her school bag before making her way downstairs.

Walking into the kitchen, she saw that her mother, father, and Rini were all sitting around the table enjoying pancakes. Knowing Sammy, he was probably still lying in bed. Taking a seat, she quickly helped herself to the stack on the serving platter.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked the little girl next to her.

Rini gave her a large grin and nodded. "Yeah. I didn't think I would be able to sleep because I was so excited about starting school today. But I fell right to sleep."

Serena swallowed a bite of food and then told her, "You'll have a blast. I went to that school with my friend Andrew. I also made two other great friends there, Molly and Melvin."

The girl stared at her with wide eyes. "So you think I can make friends there?"

"Sure you can." Serena said with a smile. "A bright, energetic kid like you will have people clamoring to be your friend."

Rini threw herself at Serena and hugged her tightly. "Thanks Serena."

Ilene watched then with a bemused smile on her face. "Well I'm glad to see that the two of you worked out your differences."

"We just got off on the wrong foot." Serena said, setting Rini on her lap. "Rini, one of your buns are crooked. Sit still and I'll fix it.."

She quickly retwisted the pink hair into shape and secured it with hairpins. "There, now you're perfect." She leaned down to whisper in the tiny ear, "If anybody bothers you, let me know, okay."

Rini nodded and returned to her own seat to finish her last few bites of food. Serena studied her as she finished her own breakfast. She didn't know why, but she felt so protective of this kid. Almost like they shared a common bond or something.

The doorbell rang, cutting off her thoughts. She took a last sip of juice before jumping up from the table and grabbing her bag and lunch. "That must be Mina. I'll see everyone later."

She opened the door and was shocked to find not just Mina, but Raye, Amy, and Lita as well. That was weird. Usually Mina came by here and they walked together until they met up with the others about halfway to school.

"What are all of you doing here?" Serena laughed.

"Oh we all met up by coincidence and decided to walk over here together." Mina said, praying that Serena would buy it. Luckily she did.

"Well let's go." she said, walking quickly down the path. She wanted to get to school early so that she would have time to talk to Darien before classes started.

He had been so kind and attentive as he had walked her and Rini home from Raye's yesterday. Last night, they had spent over an hour on the phone talking about their likes and dislikes and getting to know each other better.

She smiled as she thought about some of the things she had learned about him. She now knew that his favorite colors were red and black and that he had a weakness for chocolate, especially dark chocolate. He hated broccoli and carrots, which put him up high on her list because she detested carrots.

The school came into view and they all entered, splitting up when they reached the sophomore hall to go to their lockers. Serena quickly dialed in her combination and opened hers, taking some books out of her bag and replacing them with the ones that she would need for her first classes.

She felt someone come up and stand next to her, and she looked up, expecting it to be Darien or one of her friends. Instead she met a pair of mesmerizing violet eyes.

"Well, hello again." Dominic drawled. "I was hoping to run into you."

She gave him a bright smile as she closed her locker. "Hi Dominic. Ready for your first day?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." he said with a grin. Gesturing to the guy beside him he told her, "I wanted to introduce you to my brother, Sebastian."

Sebastian was as tall as Dominic, but not quite as broad. Where his brother was fair, he was dark. His hair was a dark navy blue, almost black, and his eyes were the color of the midnight sky. At first glance, he almost reminded her of Darien. Speaking of which…

"Well it was nice meeting you Sebastian. I hope both of you have a good day. I've gotta run. I need to go meet someone." she said.

Dominic looked crestfallen. "Oh okay. I had hoped to ask you a few things about my schedule. I'm not sure where some of the classes are located. But that's all right, I'm sure someone else can help."

Looking into his eyes, she felt the need to go find Darien slip away. Suddenly her top priority was to help her new friend. Stepping up close to him, she took his schedule from his hand.

"Well let's see what you've got." she said, not noticing the way he smiled and his eyes closed for a moment in reaction to the closeness of her body.

"Most of your classes are here in the main building." she told him. "But you do have a couple after lunch that are in one of the other buildings. Just go out the back door by the stairs, you can't miss it."

He gave her a genuine smile and pinned her with his hypnotic gaze. "Thank you, Serena. I knew you could clear that up for me. A beautiful intelligent woman such as yourself would know."

She blushed a little, but was unable to break the eye contact. He leaned in closer, pressing her back into the lockers behind her.

"I find you to be a very enchanting creature. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner some night." he purred, leaning his head down.

Serena's head went fuzzy and her mind was almost completely blank. She stared at those lips so close to hers, and felt an almost unbelievable need to kiss them and see if they were as soft as they looked.

Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her though, telling her that she was forgetting something important. A face was trying to form in her mind, but she couldn't quite bring it into focus.

"I…I…" she stammered, not sure what she was trying to say.

Those lips moved in a little closer to hers. Only a few inches separated them. She was about to close the gap and touch them with her own, when suddenly they were gone. She felt an arm around her shoulder, and leaned into the comforting warmth.

"What the hell is going on?" an outraged voice bellowed.

* * *

Darien stomped into the school in a very bad mood. He had a hard time sleeping the night before, and when he did, he had some really messed up dreams.

The one that stuck in his mind the most was one that started off good, but then turned into a nightmare. He dreamed that he and Serena were getting married. She was a vision of loveliness in a beautiful wedding dress and holding a bouquet of his favorite red roses.

"_Oh Darien, is this for real? Are we finally getting married?"_ she had whispered breathlessly.

"_It's real, my love." _he had reassured her. _"We'll be together forever."_

He put his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her. Just as he was about to claim her lips with his own, she was ripped away from him. She turned to stare sadly at him as she transformed in Princess Serenity. A lone teardrop slid down her cheek as she turned away.

Then the ground beneath her crumbled and she fell into a dark abyss. Unable to do anything to stop it, he fell to his knees with an anguished cry. Then the voice came.

"_Prince Endymion." _it bellowed. _"You must stay away from Princess Serenity. If you two are together it will mean her death and the end of the world as we know it."_

"_What the hell? Who are you? Show yourself!" _Darien demanded.

"_You have been warned, Endymion."_ the voice responded. _"If you insist on pursuing a relationship with the princess, she will be in great peril."_

Darien shook his head as he came back to the present. The dream had shaken him up so badly that he had jumped out of his window and rushed to Serena's house as quickly as possible in the middle of the night to check on her. Finding her sleeping peacefully, he had been ordered away by Sailor Jupiter, who had been on guard duty at the moment.

Returning home, he had been unable to fall back to sleep. The vision of Serena being taken from him and then falling into that black nothingness haunted him for the rest of the night.

Reaching his locker, he quickly grabbed what he needed for class and then headed for the sophomore hall. He knew she was okay, the scouts were with her, but he needed to see her for himself.

As he was climbing the stairs, he reached out with their bond to sense her. He sensed her, but her end was blank, like she was asleep or something. That was weird.

Emerging into the upstairs hallway, he immediately began making his way to her locker. The hall was crowded at this time of morning, making it difficult to find anyone. As he neared his destination, there was a break in the crowd that revealed a sight that made his blood boil.

Serena was leaning up against the lockers while that freak from the other day stooped over her. At first he felt a little heartbreak, thinking Serena might have found someone else that she liked better than him. But as he looked at her, he realized that there was something off in her eyes. It almost looked as if she had been hypnotized. That would explain the lack of response on her end of their link.

Darien saw the silver haired guy lean in farther, bringing his lips dangerously close to hers, and something in him snapped. In just a few long strides he had reached the pair. Grabbing the guy roughly by the arm, he hauled him away from Serena.

He put an arm around her shoulders and felt her lean into him. He also sensed her confusion as her awareness returned to her.

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled at Dominic.

Stormy cobalt eyes clashed violently with furious lavender. All activity in the hall stopped as all eyes focused on the little drama unfolding.

Dominic was the first to break the silence. "My apologies. When I spoke to Serena on Friday, I was under the impression that her heart was not taken by anyone at the moment. Evidently I was mistaken."

Darien growled. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you stay away from her."

Dominic chuckled. "Funny, I was under the impression that you two hated each other. Now here you are coming to her rescue."

Darien's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Serena is with me. I suggest you move on and find some other girl."

An excited buzz began rippling through the crowd. The two biggest enemies in the school were dating? That would keep the gossip mill turning for weeks.

Darien felt Serena stir against his side as she looked up at him.

"It's all right, Darien." she said softly. "Dominic just needed some help on locating a couple of his classes, that's all."

"That's right, Darien." Dominic said lethally. "Serena was kind enough to point me in the right direction. She is such a kind and helpful person."

Darien let out another growl and took a step forward, determined to knock that smug look off the bastard's face, but he was stopped by Serena's hand on his arm.

"Glad I could help, but now we all need to get to class." she told Dominic. "Will you walk with me Darien?" she asked brightly, taking his hand in hers.

Shooting one last murderous glare at the silver haired guy, Darien turned to the petite blonde and smiled. "Sure, let's go."

Hand in hand, they strolled down the hall, the object of many stares and whispers. Dominic just stood there watching with a superior look on his face.

"So are you enjoying yourself yet?" Sebastian asked from beside him.

An evil grin spread across his lips as he thought about what just happened. Serenity had fallen under his spell all to easily. She had been like putty in his hands. Even now, his body burned at the thought of those luscious pink lips that had been so close to his own. She had almost kissed him. He had seen it in her glazed eyes and knew what she had been about to do before that idiot Endymion had made his appearance.

Still, he chuckled. "Yes brother, I'm enjoying myself immensely. It won't be long before I have her and her crystal. In the meantime, I'm going to have fun torturing Endymion. Let's see how he likes seeing his love in the arms of another man."

"I hope you know what you're doing." his brother worried.

'_Oh yes, I know what I'm doing.' _he thought to himself. _'I will bring the sniveling earth prince to his knees. I will steal his love and his future. And once he's lying broken before me, I'll finally do him a favor and take his life.'_

**A/N **So that's what I've got for now. I hope you all enjoyed it. I think you have all heard enough from me for now, so I'm just going to say thanks for reading, and tell me what you think. Make me smile and hit that review button and drop me a line. Later!

Sere-chan


	6. Shattered Hopes and Dreams

**A/N** Hey guys! I just want to take a moment and thank all of you for your supporting words after the last chapter. It really meant a lot to me. This story will live on because you have demanded it, and I would hate to disappoint you…LOL.

Okay, hug time. BIG HUGS TO:

**luna345 **

**xo Usako ox**

**ange de l'aube **

**snoopykid **

**idfcv **

**Beloved Dawn**

**Jacks**

**tourquoisepeanutbutter **

**CharmedSerenity3**

**ducky **

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**SailorMercuryROCKS**

**JungkO**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

You guys are great, and I am honored to be able to share this story with you. So let's get on with it. The saga continues!

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R twist

Chapter 6

Shattered Hopes and Dreams

The Friday afternoon sunshine beat down on Serena's head as she shuffled slowly down the street. It had been a bit of an unusual week at school and she was kind of glad to see the end of it.

Staring down at the paper in her hand, she sighed. Her history teacher had handed back a quiz today that they had taken last Wednesday, not that she remembered taking it. She had been stunned to see a large red 35 on it. She had been getting graded assignments back all week with failing grades, but this was the worst yet.

Then there had been when her English teacher had asked her for an assignment that she was missing that had been due last Thursday. Serena had quickly looked through her bag, but had been unable to find it.

"Are you sure I didn't turn it in Miss Haruna?" she had asked.

The woman's face had turned six shades of red. "That would have been impossible Miss Tsukino, seeing as how you were absent last Thursday."

Serena blinked. That was the day that she couldn't recall no matter how hard she tried. So she had missed school that day huh? That was weird. She had carefully picked her mother's mind about that day, thinking that maybe she had been sick and just couldn't remember. But Ilene had made it sound as if it were a normal day.

Everything seemed strange right now. That new guy, Dominic, seemed to show up everywhere she went. After that weird episode with him on Monday morning it was like all she had to do was turn around and there he would be, always watching her with a touch of what looked to be sadness and longing in his beautiful eyes.

Serena felt bad for him. It must be tough to be in a new school where you didn't know anyone. She had started to go talk to him several times, but something always interrupted her.

That was another thing, she felt like she never had a minute to herself anymore. There was always someone right by her side, either one of her friends or Darien.

Her face softened a bit and a smile touched her lips as she thought about him. He had been so sweet all week, walking her to class and joining her for her afternoon milkshakes at the arcade. Andrew had been on cloud nine knowing that his two best friends were now an item.

But for the last few days, Darien had seemed tired and pale. He claimed he was fine every time she asked him if he felt okay, but Serena wasn't so sure. Today at lunch while they were all sitting in their favorite spot under a large tree in the courtyard, he had actually fallen asleep for a minute. Serena had shushed the others into silence, thinking that maybe he might benefit from a nap.

Barely two minutes later, he had jumped awake suddenly, looking wildly around until he realized Serena was sitting next to him. He had apologized for dozing off, and Serena had waved it away.

"It's no big deal." she had told him. "You must be tired to just fall asleep like that."

He nodded. "Maybe a little. I was up late last night studying."

Serena sighed. "Last night and every other night this week it seems. You look exhausted."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm fine Serena."

She reached up to smooth back an unruly lock of hair that fell into his eyes. She flinched when her fingers touched his forehead. "Darien, I think you have a fever. Maybe you should go home and rest."

Darien took a napkin and wiped a fine layer of sweat from his face. "I'll be okay. Don't worry about me."

Serena crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Well someone needs to worry about you, since you won't do it yourself. You are obviously sick. You should be at home in bed."

"But Serena…" he began.

"No buts Darien Shields." she cut him off heatedly. "You are going home right now and getting some rest or I'll report you to the nurse's office. They won't let you stay in school if you're sick."

Darien looked at her in shock. "You wouldn't."

Serena stood and dusted off her skirt. "Oh yeah, try me." Before she could take a step, he grabbed her hand.

"All right." he relented. "If it makes you feel better, I'll go home."

She smiled widely at him. "Good. Now get to bed. You look like you are about ready to drop."

So he had left. Serena had watched him leave with a worried expression on her face, thinking that it was going to be a long rest of the day to get through.

Lunch had ended and they all made their way back to class. Serena had barely sat her books on her desk when a voice came over the intercom, summoning her to the office.

Mina and Lita, who had math class with her, shot her quizzical glances. Serena herself looked confused for a moment before realization hit. She smacked herself on the forehead.

"I forgot I had a dentist appointment today." she told them. "I guess my mom's here to get me. Now I wish I hadn't sent Darien home. Maybe I could have talked him into coming with me. I hate the dentist."

"Miss Tsukino, are you leaving or not?" the teacher asked from the front of the room. "I do have a class to teach."

"Yes sir, I'm sorry." she gathered her belongings and whispered to her friends. "I'll catch you later at the arcade."

For once the dentist visit had gone quickly. There had been no waiting and after a quick check up and cleaning, she was free to go.

So that was how she found herself walking down the sidewalk that afternoon, alone for the first time all week. She still had an hour before the other girls would get out of school, but she had her school things with her anyway so that they could study later. Since she had time to kill, she figured that she could go check up on Darien before heading to the arcade.

When her mother had heard that he was sick, she had insisted on packing up some soup and juice for her to take to him. After all, the poor guy was an orphan living on his own with nobody to look after him.

Serena was a block from his apartment building and still grumbling about the failed paper in her hand when she looked up. Ahead of her she saw a familiar head of black hair glinting in the sunlight.

'_What is he doing out here? I told him to get some rest.' _she fumed to herself. Pushing that to the back of her mind in her happiness at seeing him, she shoved the offending paper into her bag and ran toward him.

"Darien" she called out.

He turned right before she reached him, and she flung herself against him, hugging him tightly around the waist.

"Oh I missed you." she cried enthusiastically. "I've been so worried. How are you feeling?"

She didn't notice the way his body tensed up in her embrace, but when he put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back slightly, she looked up at him in confusion.

"We need to talk Serena." he said gravely.

She took one look into his deep blue eyes and felt a shiver run down her spine. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like this conversation at all.

* * *

After Darien left the school, he walked slowly toward his apartment. He honestly felt like he was half dead. His sleep had been disturbed by those grisly nightmares all week. They had progressively gotten worse as the days passed. They had started off with Serena falling into a dark abyss, but then he started seeing her standing frozen in fear as a wave of evil energy bore down on her. But that wasn't even the worst part.

He didn't even have to be asleep now to see the awful visions. It seemed like every time he closed his eyes, he saw her die. Images appeared to him of her broken body lying lifeless on the ground, her golden hair and porcelain skin stained red as her life's blood seeped from her body. The whole time, that ominous voice would tell him that this was her future if he stayed with her.

Finally making it home, he dropped his bag by the door and walked into the living room. The couch looked so inviting that he couldn't resist. He threw himself down on it and prayed that he could have just a short time to sleep without any bad dreams or visions. He desperately needed it and knew he couldn't keep going on like this.

He had been so scared to sleep that he had taken to sitting in the tree outside of Serena's window every night. He turned the scouts away when they showed up for their turn at guard duty, preferring to keep himself awake by watching her himself.

Letting his heavy lids droop closed, he surrendered to sleep.

_He chased a laughing Serenity through a field filled with wild flowers of every color imagineable. Her long white dress swirled around her as she spun to face him, her crescent moon shown softly in the night._

_"If you catch me, I'll give you a kiss." she said mischievously._

_Before she could turn to run again, he closed the gap between them and pulled her close._

"_I win." he said huskily._

"_No fair, Endy. You cheated." she pouted._

_He chuckled. "You just said I had to catch you. You never said when. Now where's my prize?"_

_She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes as she pulled his head down to bring her lips to his. After several moments, they pulled apart slightly._

_Serenity sighed as she looked up at the moon above them. "My home looks so different from here."_

"_Just like a pearl shining in the sky." Endymion replied as he rested his chin on her head._

"_I should be going soon." she whispered. "The scouts will come looking for me if I'm gone much longer, and my mother wouldn't be happy to know that I have been sneaking down here to see you."_

_He wrapped her in his arms tightly. "I promise, Serenity, one day we will be together. There has to be a way for us to be."_

_The scene faded and he found himself standing in a large room that seemed to be constructed of pure crystal. As he looked around, his attention was caught by a monument of some kind at the far end of the room._

_He approached it slowly. As he drew near, he realized that it was also made of crystal. He looked it over carefully and saw what appeared to be a body lying inside of it. Closer inspection showed it to be the body of a woman with long blonde hair and a golden crescent on her forehead. She lay still and lifeless inside the tomb._

"_Serena" he whispered as he laid a hand on the crystal._

"_This is what I told you would happen." the unknown voice boomed. "I warned you to stay away from her, but your stubbornness will seal her fate. Princess Serenity is in grave danger, and as long as you stay with her, this is her future."_

"_This is just a dream. It can't be real." Darien yelled._

_The voice spoke again, but this time it was softer. A tinge of sadness colored the words. "It is real, Darien. You must trust me. I have seen the future, and this is what happens to Serena if you stay together."_

_Darien gazed sadly at the woman frozen in the crystal. "All I've ever wanted was to love her and be with her. How can my loving her cause this?"_

"_Evil forces have been against you since the Silver Millennium." the voice told him. "Even in this time, there are those who do not wish to see an alliance between the earth and the moon. They will do anything to come between you. Even if it means death."_

_The scene shifted again, and he saw the same vision he had seen before. Serena was standing, frozen in place. Fear shown brightly in her wide, crystal blue eyes as a wave of energy sped toward her. She threw her arms up in front of her face to shield herself and screamed as the attack was about to hit her. Then there was a flash of bright light._

_When the light faded, Darien once again saw the crystal tomb, but this time there was someone else there as well. He gasped as he looked at the man, realizing that it was an older version of himself. As he watched, the older him fell to his knees beside the monument, deep, wrenching sobs tore from his throat._

"_I'm sorry, Serena." the man whispered brokenly. "I never wanted to see this happen to you. I thought I could protect you, but I was wrong."_

_Darien had tears of his own on his cheeks. "I can't let that happen to her. But how do I live without her? I love her."_

_The voice spoke softly one last time as the scene faded into darkness. "If you love her that much, you'll let her go."_

Darien's eyes flew open and he bolted upright on the couch, gasping for breath. He looked around and his rapidly thumping heart slowed some when he realized that he was back in his own apartment. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to erase the images he had just seen.

"What should I do?" he asked himself out loud. "Are these dreams really premonitions of the future? Should I let her go to keep her safe?"

He glanced at the clock and saw that he had been asleep for an hour. Nowhere near long enough to catch up on what he had missed, but the thought of going back to sleep terrified him.

Getting up, he stripped off his school uniform and took a long shower, letting the hot water beat down on him to try to ease the tension in his muscles. Afterward, he dressed in some regular clothes and decided that he needed to get out of the apartment.

Grabbing some books that he needed to return to the library, he quickly left. The walk to the library was uneventful, and the fresh air helped clear his head.

He decided that he wasn't going to make any rash decisions about these premonitions. Maybe he should talk to Raye. After all, visions and such were right up her alley.

After returning his books and checking out a few more that he needed, he began walking back home, feeling somewhat better than he had before. He was about a block from his apartment building when a sudden pain pierced his head. Letting out a groan, he dropped his books and leaned heavily up against the wall beside him as he clutched his throbbing head.

He clenched his eyes shut against the pain. He once again saw Serena transform into Princess Serenity and turn to look at him with tears in her eyes as the ground crumbled beneath her. As she fell into the blackness, she reached out for him, her screams echoing in his ears.

_"Darien, save me!"_

_"Remember what I showed you."_ the mystery voice whispered through his head.

The pain disappeared and he opened his eyes. He was shaken by what had just occurred. That was no dream. That had been a powerful vision while he was wide-awake.

He was about to bend down to pick up his books when he heard a voice call out behind him, "Darien".

He turned just in time to be plowed into by a bubbly, enthusiastic Serena. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and hugged him. He stiffened as he looked down at her. Her long blonde hair was swirling all around her, but all he could see was the vision of her lying as still as death in that crystal tomb.

She was babbling away against his chest, but he couldn't comprehend her words. He now knew what he needed to do, he just hoped that he had the strength to go through with it. It broke his heart to even think about it, but he would do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant his own life.

He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back slightly, putting some distance between them. Her beautiful eyes held confusion as she looked up at him.

He forced the words out. "We need to talk, Serena."

He felt her shudder slightly under his intense gaze. After a moment, she nodded gently.

"Okay" she said slowly. "What do you want to talk about?"

He took a deep breath, wanting to hurry up and get this over with before he broke down in front of her. "I don't think we should see each other anymore, Serena."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No. This is about me. I don't think I can deal with a relationship right now. I'm a loner, Serena. I thought that maybe being with you would be a refreshing change, but that's not who I am. I'm sorry."

He turned away from her, unable to look at her anymore. He only took one step when she grabbed his hand.

"Darien" she whispered. "If something's wrong, we can work it out together."

He closed his eyes as her soft voice washed over him. This was killing him. All he wanted to do was turn around and pull her into his arms and hold her there forever. But he couldn't be that selfish, not at the expense of her life.

He stiffened his resolve and turned cold eyes on her. "There's nothing to work out, Serena. We're through!"

At his harsh tone, she dropped his hand like she had been burned. Tears sprang to life in her crystalline eyes. Unable to stand any more of this torture, he picked his books up and began walking away.

He heard her whisper his name softly behind him, followed by a quiet sob. The sound of running footsteps had him turning around in time to see her disappear around a corner. Tears sparkled in his eyes as well as he turned back and began running home.

* * *

The four girls and one guy stared helplessly at the blonde who had her head buried in her arms on the table, crying as if it were the end of the world.

Amy, Raye, Lita, Mina, and Andrew had walked into the arcade several minutes ago to find Serena in the middle of an emotional break down at their favorite booth. They had tried to ask her what was wrong, but had gotten no reply.

After a few more minutes of gut wrenching sobs, she seemed to quiet down some. Raye laid a hand on her best friend's shoulder and tried to get through to her again.

"Serena, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

Serena raised her head and looked at Raye with swollen, red-rimmed eyes. As she read the concern in her friend's violet gaze, she broke into fresh tears and threw herself at her.

Raye hugged her as she looked around at the others in confusion. They didn't have a clue as to what could have possibly happened to make the normally upbeat girl so sad. Raye knew she had to take drastic measures to snap Serena out of this.

"Enough with the water works, meatball head. Quit whining and tell us what's going on."

Raye said harshly.

Serena hiccupped and swallowed her tears at the sound of that firm voice. She pulled back from Raye and looked around at the worried faces of her friends.

"Darien broke up with me." she whispered brokenly.

"What?!" the five voices exclaimed in disbelief.

She nodded sadly. "I was on my way over to check on him after my dentist appointment when I ran into him. He seemed so cold and distant. Then he just up and told me that he didn't want to see me anymore."

Everyone was shocked. Serenity and Endymion's love for each other was legendary. It had even conquered death so it could survive. What would make Darien suddenly decide to throw away a love that had already spanned a thousand years?

"Oh Serena, " Mina consoled her, "the poor guy isn't feeling good. You probably just caught him in a bad mood or something."

"That's right." Lita agreed. "Most people get cranky when they're sick."

Amy nodded her head. "I bet he regrets what he said now. I'm sure if you were to talk to him again, you guys could work it out."

Serena sniffled. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course we do." Raye replied. "Anyone can see that you two are crazy about each other. He's just having an idiot moment."

"Well he better get over it before I give in to the urge to break his nose." Andrew said in a threatening tone. Serena was like a sister to him, and he wasn't going to stand by and watch someone hurt her, even if it was his best friend.

Serena actually giggled at that. "I don't think you need to go that far, big brother."

He gave her a smile and a wink as he turned around and walked to the counter to start his shift.

"So what are you going to do, Serena?" Mina asked.

She thought for a moment. "I'm going to go by his apartment and drop off the food my mom sent him. I'll apologize for bugging him while he's sick, and then I guess I'll wait for him to make the next move."

"Sounds like a plan, girl." Lita said with a grin.

Serena slid from the booth and grabbed her belongings. "I'm going right now. I'll see you guys later."

She left the arcade, not noticing how her four friends followed behind her at a discreet distance. They watched until they saw her disappear into Darien's apartment building before turning in the direction of the temple. Darien may be in a bad mood, but he would make sure Serena got home okay.

Serena shifted nervously from one foot to the other as she rode the elevator up to the top floor of the building. After the scene with Darien earlier, she wasn't sure what kind of greeting she would receive. She was going to keep this short and simple.

She stood hesitantly in front of his door. _'Come on, Serena. You can do this.'_ she told herself. _'Just knock on the door, apologize for disturbing him, and leave the food.'_

She raised her hand and knocked softly on the door. She held her breath as she heard footsteps on the other side approaching.

* * *

Darien stood on his balcony looking out over the city. Being inside his apartment had been stifling, so he hoped that the sunlight and noises from the city around him would distract him.

He heard a light knock on the door and sighed. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. All he could think about was the stricken look on Serena's face earlier and the way she had whispered his name before running off. He felt like the world's biggest bastard for making her feel like that.

He heard another knock and decided that he better answer it. It was probably just Andrew checking up on him anyway.

He checked the peephole and frowned when he didn't see anyone. That was weird. He opened the door and looked out into the seemingly empty hallway.

"Hi Darien" a voice came from below.

Darien jumped at the sound and looked down to find a pair of maroon eyes watching him in amusement.

"Oh, hey Rini." he replied after he had regained his composure. "What are you doing here?"

"Dum dum Serena forgot to pick me up after school." Rini complained. "Your place was close by, so I thought I'd check and see if she was here."

"Serena forgot to pick you up?" Darien said incredulously. That was strange. Serena had been strongly devoted to the girl all week, insisting on being there everyday when she got out of school and letting her hang out with them. It had been nice, but the scouts and Darien really wanted a chance to question Rini about where she came from. That was impossible with Serena around.

'_I wonder where she could be.'_ he thought. _'I hope she's okay.'_

He opened the door wider. "Come on in, Rini. Just let me grab my keys and my jacket and I'll take you home."

The little girl wandered into his living room while he went in to his bedroom. He grabbed a jacket off of a chair and pulled it on quickly. Snagging his keys off the dresser, he left the room just in time to hear another knock at the door. He answered it without thinking.

He groaned when he came face to face with Serena. He took one look at her still swollen eyes and red nose and felt like kicking himself. She glanced shyly up at him and gave him a trembling half smile.

"Hi" she said softly and slipped through the open door.

He stood there in shock for a moment before closing it. He composed his face into an indifferent mask before turning around.

"What are you doing here, Serena?" he asked in a flat monotone as he leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry." she said in a fake, bright voice. "I know I keep bugging you, but I forgot to give you something earlier."

She opened her school bag and retrieved a sack from it and sat it on a table. "When mom heard you weren't feeling well, she insisted on sending you something to eat."

"You came all the way over here for that?" he asked incredulously.

She nodded. "Yes, and to apologize for earlier."

He was floored. He had ripped her heart to pieces, and here she was apologizing to him!

She sighed. "I'm sure the last thing you want when you are sick is to have silly me hanging around. So I just wanted to say I'm sorry for getting on your nerves."

Darien leaned his head back and groaned inwardly. She had misinterpreted what he had said earlier. She just thought he was in a bad mood. He so didn't want to hurt her anymore, but it was best to get this out in the open now before she left with the wrong idea.

"Serena, it's not like that." he said. "It's just that I don't have those types of feelings for you. I thought that maybe I could if I gave it a chance, but I don't. You deserve to be with somebody that can love you, and that someone is not me."

He heard her breath catch in her throat, but was unable to look at her. They stood there for several seconds in silence. His nerves were stretching to the breaking point when he finally heard her whisper.

"I should have known it was too good to be true. I thought you might be the one, my Prince Charming. I feel something strong when I'm with you, but I guess it's not meant to be. I'm sorry."

He heard the door click and looked up in time to see her walking through it. It took all of his will power not to run after her and sweep her into his arms and tell her that he didn't mean a word of it. He almost acted on it, but the thought of a world without her in it made him stop.

He braced an arm against the wall and stared at the closed door, tears blurring his vision. "I'm sorry, Serena." he whispered.

Unknown to Darien, he was being watched by a pair of sad maroon eyes. Rini peeked around a doorframe at the brokenhearted man and felt like crying herself. She had witnessed the entire scene between Darien and Serena, and something felt wrong. Why was he pushing her away? It was obvious that he loved her deeply. So why did he lie?

Rini shook her head as she went to sit on the couch. She had always thought that adults were hard to understand, but teenagers seemed to be even worse.

* * *

Diamond smiled broadly as he looked at the scene that was unfolding before him. The holographic screen showed the golden haired girl walking slowly down the street alone for the first time in days. It seemed that she always had one of those stupid scouts or that idiot prince somewhere nearby.

He watched as the girl stumbled blindly into an empty telephone booth and slid to the floor. Tears ran from those beautiful eyes of hers. Diamond reached out a hand and traced the path that they left down her cheeks.

He chuckled as he thought about that fool Endymion. How could the man turn his back so callously on such an angel? Oh well, it was his loss. He had been waiting for an opportunity to strike, and now he had his chance.

'_Don't worry, my queen.'_ he thought._ 'Soon that idiot will be a distant memory, and you will belong to me.'_

He stood from his throne and made his way to the door. As he approached it, it slid open to reveal his brother.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sapphire asked in surprise.

Diamond smirked. "Indeed I am. It seems that a certain princess is in need of a shoulder to cry on. And who better than her new friend Dominic to give it to her?"

Sapphire shook his head as watched his brother leave. He hoped that Diamond would be successful in winning the moon princess over soon. Maybe once he had her, he would get his mind back to business instead of spending all of his time indulging in silly fantasies and daydreams.

A form shimmered into existence next to him, and he looked over to see Emerald standing there. She stared at Diamond's retreating form with lust filled eyes.

"Where is he going?" she asked waspishly.

Sapphire was not in the mood to deal with one of her tantrums, so he simply replied, "Out"

She clenched her fists and fumed. "He's going to her, isn't he?"

"I don't want to hear it, Emerald." Sapphire snapped. "What Diamond does is his own business. I'm not getting into it."

Emerald pouted. "It's getting to be no fun around here. Everyone seems to be in a bad mood."

He sighed. "Well excuse all of us if we seem to be a little stressed out. We have a mission we're trying to accomplish, remember?"

"Oh pooh, what's life without a little fun?" she turned her gaze on him and ran a hand up his arm. "How about we go find ourselves a little privacy? I'll get rid of your tension."

Sapphire shrugged her hand off. "Sorry, not interested."

"Sapphire" a voice called from the end of the hall. They turned to see Prizma coming toward them. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of them together while Sapphire's face relaxed into a genuine smile.

"So that's how it is." Emerald hissed at him. "You're still chasing after her. Everybody knows that those sisters exist to do nothing but be at Rubeus's beck and call. You and your brother are both hopeless. You both spend your time running after women that you can never hope to have."

Sapphire shot her a dirty look as Prizma joined them. Prizma glared at the green haired woman for a moment before turning to Sapphire.

"Can I speak to you for a minute?" she asked softly.

Emerald let out a high-pitched laugh that sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard. "Shouldn't you be with the others consoling your sister? I heard Diamond locked her up after her latest debacle. Honestly, how hard is it to grab one little kid and bring her back here?"

Prizma's eyes snapped with fury and her hands clenched into fists. Sapphire moved himself between the two women to diffuse the situation.

"Yeah I've got time." he told her. "Follow me."

They moved away from Emerald and walked down the hall. She walked into the throne room and looked at the hologram of Neo Queen Serenity that Diamond had displayed there.

A wave of anger overcame her and she threw the fan she had in her hand at the image. It snapped and sizzled as it faded.

'_I will not let that moon bitch have Diamond.' _she raged inwardly. _'He is mine. I will be his queen, not that whiny girl. I'll see her dead first.'_

* * *

Serena didn't know how long she sat in that phone booth, and she didn't care. Nothing mattered except the horrid pain that burned in her chest where her heart used to be.

She had finally cried herself out, but continued to sit there with her forehead pressed up against the cool glass. She wasn't aware of the strange looks she was getting from the passing people or the lengthening shadows as the sun set. All she could do was grieve for her lost love.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door to the booth slide open or sense the figure that knelt down next to her. But when a warm hand touched her shoulder, she jumped.

She looked up quickly, thinking that maybe Darien had come after her. But instead of eyes of deep ocean blue, her own sky blue eyes met a pair of warm, concerned lavender.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Dominic asked gently.

Serena sat up straighter and scrubbed at her wet cheeks. A small hiccup escaped her as she replied. "Oh hi, Dominic. Yeah I'm fine. I just have a little issue going on right now."

Dominic studied her for a moment and then gave a nod of his head. "Guy problems?"

Her head snapped around. "How did you guess?"

He chuckled. "You're showing all the classic signs. On top of that, I can't think of anything else that would make a usually cheerful girl like you so upset. Is it Darien?"

Her lips pressed together tightly as she fought down a fresh wave of despair at the sound of his name. She nodded jerkily.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. "I've been told I'm an excellent listener."

She looked up into his sincere eyes and indeed felt like she could tell him anything. Maybe it would be a good idea to get another guy's perspective of the situation. Perhaps Dominic could tell her why Darien had suddenly become so cold and distant.

"Come on." he said, holding out a hand to her. "I'll walk you home, and you can tell me all about it."

Suddenly feeling much lighter, she reached for his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He picked up her bag and began walking with her down the sidewalk.

"So what's the deal?" he asked.

Serena began hesitantly telling him the story, not sure how much to reveal. But as Dominic seemed to be genuinely listening and making the occasional sympathetic sounds, the whole tale came rushing out. She told him about her first meeting with Darien, that first year of stony silence, the past year of constant fighting, and the past week of bliss. She ended by telling him about the two encounters that had happened today.

Dominic was quiet for several moments after she finished. "Well Serena," he finally said, "I don't know Darien all that well, but it sounds to me like he was just playing with you."

Serena froze for a moment. That thought had never entered her mind. She shook her head vehemently. "No, that can't be it. I know Darien has a hard side to him, heaven knows I've seen it enough times, but I don't see him as the type to purposefully play with someone's emotions like that."

Dominic sighed. "Oh Serena, you're such an innocent. You said it yourself that the two of you haven't had a civil thing to say to each other for two years, and then suddenly he starts paying attention to you. Sounds suspicious to me."

Serena thought long and hard about what he was saying. Was he right? Was this just the ultimate prank that Darien had pulled on her? She began to feel the first seeds of doubt taking root inside her.

"Do you really think that's possible?" she asked sadly.

Dominic smirked to himself as he took advantage of her vulnerability and put an arm around her shoulders to give her a light squeeze. "I hate to say it, but some guys are like that. Take this one guy I know. He has four different girls that he's messing around with. I asked him once if any of them meant anything to him, and do you know what he said?"

Serena gave her head a shake.

"He told me that he kept them around for fun." Dominic spat. "He said that if he ever got tired of any of them that he would just kick them to the curb."

Serena sucked in a breath. That was how she felt, kicked to the curb. Maybe Darien had been toying with her after all. She suddenly felt very angry.

'_That ass!' _she thought to herself. _'I bet he's sitting up in his apartment right now laughing about how he finally pulled one over on me. All of those hugs and kisses, the sweet words, they meant nothing to him. How dare he!'_

Dominic smiled as he watched the emotions crossing the petite girl's face. This was going easier than he thought it would. He didn't even have to use his powers of persuasion. By using Serena's own inner doubts, he was winning her over without it.

She looked back up at him, and he quickly smoothed his face into a sympathetic mask. He would have to play his cards carefully now.

"I hate to admit it, but I think you might be right." Serena said in a cold, even tone. "I always knew that Darien was the world's biggest jerk, but I never thought he would stoop this low."

"I'm sorry, Serena." he said softly. "No one should have to go through that, especially someone as sweet and kind as you."

She looked up at him with eyes that were bright and firm. "Well I'm not going to let it get me down. He had his fun, now it's over. Darien Shields has burned his last bridge with me. He is now completely in my past. I don't even want to speak to him anymore."

Dominic smiled at her. "That's a girl. You have too much life in you to let him pull you down. I know you'll be fine."

They drew to a stop outside her house. He reached for her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before handing her her bag.

"Thanks for listening." she said, glancing shyly at him.

"No problem. I'm glad I could help." he grinned. "I hope you have a great weekend."

"Yeah, you too." she replied.

"Oh I'm planning on it. I heard there's an excellent zoo here. I'm hoping to check it out tomorrow." he told her with a chuckle. "That is if I don't get lost. I still have a hard time finding my way around."

Serena felt something surge up in her and she acted on impulse before she could think it through. "Would you like me to come with you? I could find my way around this city blindfolded."

She bowed her head as a deep red blush stained her cheeks. She couldn't believe she had just said that. "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me."

Smooth, warm fingers lifted her chin and forced her gaze to meet his. She looked into those gorgeous lavender eyes and almost felt dizzy.

"I would be honored if you would accompany me, Serena." he whispered.

"O..okay." she stammered. "How about we meet at the park at ten o clock?"

"Sounds good." he said softly. "I'll see you then."

He moved his hand to cup her cheek and then leaned forward to press a soft kiss against her lips. He wanted to deepen it into something more, but figured it was best to take things slowly.

He pulled back and gave he a gentle smile. "Until later, princess."

He turned and walked away, leaving a dazed Serena standing there. He turned when he reached the corner and waved. She raised her hand automatically and returned it. Once he disappeared, she put trembling fingers to her burning lips.

"Wow" she whispered as a big smile spread across her face. She spun around in a circle hugging herself tightly before running into the house. She called out to her mother that she was home before dashing upstairs to her room.

She threw herself on the bed and look up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Sure, she was still majorly upset about the whole Darien scenario. Her heart was still broken, and it might take a while to mend. But there was no reason for her not to go on living.

Dominic seemed to be so caring and understanding, not to mention he was a total hunk. Maybe he was just what the doctor ordered. And perhaps, given time, he may turn out to be her prince that she had always dreamed of.

* * *

Monday morning dawned bright and clear. Spring was definitely in the air and it seemed that the last remnants of winter had finally moved out. The schoolyard at Azabu High School was beginning to fill up as students began slowly trickling in to start another week.

Four girls stood alone under a tree near the gates. They all had very worried expressions on their faces.

"Are you sure her mom said that she left early to come to school?" Lita asked Mina for the tenth time.

Mina sighed. "Yes, when I got there, Mrs. Tsukino said that Serena had left already and was coming here."

"She wasn't stopping somewhere else first?" Raye asked nervously.

Mina shrugged. "If she was, she didn't say."

Amy fidgeted. She desperately wanted to pull out her Mercury computer to scan for Serena, but knew she would get the same results as before. Unless Serena was transformed into Sailor Moon, the only way to track her was through the Silver Crystal's energy. And for some reason, Serena had not been carrying her broach with her at all that weekend. "I'm sure she's with Darien. They'll be here soon."

Andrew entered through the gate and spotted them. He walked quickly over to them and asked worriedly. "Have any of you seen or heard from Darien? I haven't been able to get a hold of him all weekend."

They all shook their heads negatively. They had tried to call him and had even gone by his apartment when they couldn't locate Serena, but had received no answer.

"No" Raye said in a panicked voice. "Serena's been missing in action all weekend too. Every time we went by her house or called, her mom said she was out."

Andrew began to grin. "Sounds like she and Darien must have made up then. I bet they probably spent the whole weekend together being disgustingly lovey dovey."

"I hope that's all it is." Lita said as she began to pace. "I just wish they would hurry up and get here. The suspense is killing me."

"I just don't see how she keeps slipping away from us." Mina complained. "I mean, we all have taken turns looking in on her at night, so we know that she's been home to sleep. I know for a fact that she was in bed when I left at sunrise this morning. I ran home to change and get my stuff, and by the time I got back she was gone."

"Well there's someone who can answer our questions." Andrew said pointing toward the gate.

They all turned to see Darien coming into the schoolyard. He looked well rested for once, but his face was sad and he kept his eyes glued to the ground. He was also obviously alone.

"Darien" Raye hollered as she ran over to him, followed closely by the others.

He looked up at them with empty eyes before returning his gaze to the ground. "What?'

They all stared at him after hearing his flat, emotionless voice. They stood in silence for several seconds before Raye spoke again.

"We were just wondering if you've seen Serena," she said quietly.

He shook his head. "I haven't seen her since Friday afternoon. Isn't she with you? You are her guard after all."

"We haven't been in contact with her since she went to your place Friday." Mina told him.

His head snapped up. "You mean she's missing?"

"Not exactly." Amy said. "She's at home when we check at night, but during the day she's impossible to find."

"Well can't you trace her signal or something?" Darien growled.

"Normally I could." Amy replied. "But it keeps saying she's at home. She's left the Silver Crystal there and isn't taking it with her when she leaves."

"So not only is she missing, but she's defenseless as well." Darien exploded. "What kind of guards are you?"

Lita's face flamed red. She cracked her knuckles menacingly. "Well what kind of a protector are you. She told us that you broke up with her. You should have seen her, she was falling apart. We figured you were just having a stupid moment and convinced her to go see you. We left her at your place figuring that you would work it out and you would watch over her."

Darien leveled a cold gaze on her. "Back off Lita. I have my reasons for doing what I did."

"So you guys didn't make up." Raye screeched. "How thick can you be, Darien?"

"Uh guys" Mina muttered.

"Look, I don't have to answer to any of you." Darien said angrily.

"Guys" Mina tried again.

"The hell you don't." Lita retorted hotly. "You mess with our princess, and you mess with all of us. I don't care if you used to be a prince or not."

Mina began tugging on Raye's shirt. "Guys"

Even Amy had anger sparking in her eyes. "They're right. I never thought you would be the type to intentionally hurt someone like that."

Darien opened his mouth to defend himself, but was cut off by Mina's loud voice.

"Would all of you just shut up for two damn seconds and look over there." she practically screamed.

They all paused and looked in the direction her finger was pointing. Jaws dropped as they saw Serena walking across the yard. She was all smiles as she talked animatedly with the guy at her side. He was chuckling at something she said.

"Is that…Dominic?" Raye whispered incredulously.

'_What the hell?'_ Darien thought as he watched his love laugh and converse with another man. He felt like someone had just shoved a red-hot poker through his heart.

Gasps were heard all around as Dominic wrapped his arms around Serena's waist and pulled her to him, giving her a long, lingering kiss.

'_HOLY SHIT!!'_

**A/N** So there you have it, another chapter down. I know a lot of you said that you didn't want to see Serena and Darien break up, and I'm not a huge fan of it myself since it wasn't in the manga, (btw…that's why I skipped the Doom Tree arc and went straight to the Black Moon story. I always felt like they made that part up in the anime just to take up space.) but I needed to put some space between Serena and Darien so that Diamond can have his chance. So now it appears that our favorite little moon princess has herself a new guy. What will everyone's reactions be? Stay tuned for more! Please remember to review and tell me what you think. Later!

Sere-chan


	7. Moving On?

**A/N** A thousand apologies to everyone. I know that I'm a little late with this update. I plead insanity. I'm a die-hard member of Team Edward, so I got wrapped up in the whole New Moon release and all. I also had a paper due in my English Lit. class, so I fell behind in my editing. Anyway, I've got a nice long chapter here that I hope makes it up to you. Thanks to all my amazing reviewers for the last chapter. You guys rock as always. BIG HUGS TO:

**ange de l'aube **

**Jacks**

**xo Usako ox**

**idfcv **

**snoopykid **

**Chas**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**MoonlightSonata87**

**luna345**

**JungkO**

**Joanne Jay**

**moonlighthalo **

**SailorMercuryROCKS**

**Lulubelle09**

**invaderzimbabe 92**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**Lennabear**

**torquoisepeanutbutter **

Thanks for keeping me inspired. I hope you all continue to enjoy. Now here's Chapter 7!

**_ENJOY!_**

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 7

Two Men Too Many

Serena closed her bedroom door firmly behind her and tossed her schoolbag into a corner. She let out a deep sigh as she leaned against the solid wood and tried to sort through her jumbled thoughts.

It was Friday again. One week since Darien had broken up with her. One week since he had ripped her heart to shreds and left the pieces scattered at her feet. It had also been the start of the strangest week of her life.

_**Flashback**_

After her little talk with Dominic about her confrontations with Darien last week, she had felt a little better for a while. She had made it through the evening with her parents, Rini, and her annoying little brother, having a comfortable dinner and watching T.V.

Serena had been able to push all thoughts of Darien into a back corner of her mind, and for the most part was managing to keep him there. He was still too painful to think about right now. She would wait until the worst part of the shock had worn off, then maybe she would be able to analyze the situation better.

Her plan had gone fine until she had ducked into the kitchen in search of a snack during a commercial. Her mother had been in there icing a cake that she had baked earlier.

Ilene greeted her daughter with a smile. "Hi honey. I almost have this ready if you want some."

"Sounds good." Serena replied as she pulled a soda from the refrigerator.

"I didn't get to ask you earlier, but how was Darien feeling this afternoon?" Ilene asked

Serena almost choked on her soda as the sound of Darien's name caught her off guard. "Oh, um…he was feeling much better."

"That's good." Ilene mused. "I worry about him living all alone with no one to look out for him."

"Yeah" Serena muttered. Tears sprang unexpectedly to her eyes as his face appeared in her mind and firmly refused leave. The door that she had locked him behind flew open and she couldn't help but think of him.

She turned quickly so her mother wouldn't see her face. "I'm going to go take a shower." she said in what she hoped was a normal voice.

"But I thought you wanted some cake." Ilene called after her.

"Maybe later." Serena replied as she ran up the stairs. She flew through her room and into the adjoining bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her. She stood there, staring at her tear streaked reflection in the mirror as sobs began clawing their way up her throat.

A vision suddenly appeared in her head. Darien was standing in front of her, once more wearing the elegant tuxedo and cape. No mask covered his face this time, and his deep blue eyes bored straight into her own.

He put his arms around her and pulled her close to whisper, "I love you, Sere. More than my own life. I would die for you if it meant keeping you safe." Then he kissed her.

The scene faded to another. This time Darien was sprawled on the ground with his eyes closed. A large amount of blood was pooling under him as she knelt next to him and put his head in her lap. She leaned down and kissed his still warm lips gently before taking the sword from his lifeless hand.

"Never fear, my love." she said brokenly. "I'll be with you soon."

She turned the sword so that the point was aimed at her chest, and with a last sob, thrust the sword into her heart.

Serena's head snapped up. One hand was grabbing at the tearing pain in her chest while the other was gripping the edge of the sink so tight that her knuckles turned white. A cold sweat broke out all over her body and she began to shake uncontrollably as a myriad of emotions ran through her.

Pain, loneliness, heartbreak, and despair crashed into her with the impact of a speeding truck. A sudden wave of nausea had her stumbling to the toilet where her stomach revolted at the emotional overload.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there huddled on the cold tile floor, but eventually she became aware of her surroundings once more. Feeling dirty after being sick and from the tears and sweat that had dried on her skin, she turned the shower on to heat up and began peeling her clothes off.

She stood under the hot water until it finally began to cool, hoping that it would wash all of these feelings down the drain with it. She finally toweled herself off and pulled on her pajamas. Feeling somewhat better, she went to her room.

Luna wasn't there. She was probably out doing her usual nighttime prowl, so Serena cracked the window for the cat so she could get back in.

Turning toward her bed, her eyes landed on the gold broach that she had taken to wearing all the time and it brought another unwanted memory to the surface.

_She was leaning up against a tree in the schoolyard, waiting for Darien to join her. She looked down at the broach and ran her fingers over it gently. She didn't know why she felt a need to keep it with her at all times, but the piece of jewelry felt almost comforting somehow._

_A shadow fell across her and she looked up into Darien's intense blue eyes._

"_Am I interrupting something?" he chuckled._

_She laughed too. "No. I was just admiring my broach. I don't know where it came from, but I feel like wearing it all the time. I never leave home without it anymore."_

_Darien had trailed his fingers down her cheek. "It suits you. Of course, no piece of jewelry could ever outshine your beauty."_

Damn it! Was everything going to constantly remind her of him?

She picked up the now offending broach and carried it over to her dresser. She opened her jewelry box and threw it in. A few seconds later, a haunting melody began playing.

Serena froze for a moment at the sound of the music. It sounded familiar for some reason, but she didn't remember ever actually hearing it before. Reopening the lid to the jewelry box, she peeked inside.

Nestled inside the velvet-lined box was a beautiful star shaped locket. The broach must have hit it when she threw it in, causing it to open and begin playing.

In a daze, Serena picked it up. The tune was comforting to her and she closed her eyes and let it wash over her. That is until Darien's face flashed through her head again.

Clicking the locket shut, she picked up the broach as well. Opening one of her drawers, she shoved both items to the bottom under some clothes.

She climbed tiredly into bed and mercifully slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep. She didn't even stir when her door creaked open a short time later and Rini crept in. The little girl crawled up onto the bed and snuggled up close to Serena whispering, "Mommy".

The next day had passed pleasant enough. She had thought about canceling her plans with Dominic, but realized that she didn't have his number. Figuring getting out would be better than spending the day moping around the house, she met him at the park like they had planned. They spent the day at the zoo together.

It was nice. He held her hand and listened attentively to her when she spoke. He seemed to be pretty upbeat and had a great sense of humor. They had a good time as they laughed and joked while observing the animals.

Serena had to admit that she was enjoying herself, but there was that one small part of her that refused to cheer up. She found herself constantly comparing Dominic to Darien. They were both about the same height and size. Of course Dominic was handsomely fair while Darien exuded that dark, mysterious air. They both also were masterful kissers.

Dominic had managed to steal a couple of kisses throughout the day. And while she wasn't very experienced in that area, she could tell that he knew what he was doing. But she couldn't help but wonder why his kisses didn't affect her the way Darien's did. They were nice and all, but they didn't make her go all weak and shaky like she did when Darien kissed her.

When they had reached the end of the zoo, she had turned and thanked him for a wonderful afternoon.

"You don't really have to go, do you?" he had asked in low voice.

"I'm afraid so." she replied. "If I don't get home in time for dinner, there won't be anything left."

He grinned at her. "So come have dinner with me instead."

Serena pulled back some. She felt that Dominic was reading too much into their relationship, and she felt bad about it. She enjoyed spending time with him and thought that they were becoming good friends. Maybe in time it would become something more. But for now she didn't feel like getting into anything serious.

"Maybe another time." she said, noncommittally.

"What a shame." he whispered as he raised her hand to his lips. He brushed a light kiss across her knuckles. "I had someplace very special in mind."

She found herself entranced by his beautiful eyes once more. Before she knew it, she found herself calling her mom to let her know that she would be out for the evening, even though she didn't remember actually agreeing to accompany him.

He had taken her to a small, but luxurious restaurant. She tried to part ways with him again after the elegant dinner, but found herself agreeing to a movie instead. She didn't know why, but it was like she couldn't say no to him.

When he had left her on her doorstep that night, it had been with a promise of spending the day with him again the next day, starting with a breakfast date. She had complied with his wishes, even though she had planned to catch up on her homework that day.

They had spent the whole day poking around the city, visiting a couple of museums and even hitting the mall. Every time she even mentioned going home to study, he would somehow convince her to stay with him just a while longer, without her even knowing how.

It wasn't until her mother called her and reminded her that it was a school night that he reluctantly took her home.

Feeling somewhat relieved when they arrived at her house, she turned to him. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled at her. "How about I come by in the morning and walk with you."

"O…oh" she stuttered. "Mina usually comes by in the morning and we meet up with our other friends."

"I see" he said in an even tone. "And what time does Mina get here?"

Serena's brain felt fuzzy and she had a hard time thinking. "Um…um…about 7:45."

Dominic grinned at her. "Then I'll see you at 7:30."

"Okay" she whispered. Wait a minute. Where did that come from? She hadn't meant to say that, had she?

The next thing she knew, he kissed her and walked away, leaving her standing, very confused, on her front porch. She didn't know why she kept giving in to him. It was almost like he had the ability to put a spell over her.

She laughed to herself. A spell, that was funny. This was the real world. Magic only existed in books and movies. Shaking her head, she rushed inside to attempt to get her homework done.

As she worked her way through the assignments, her mind began to clear. She gave herself a stern talking to and promised herself that she would stick by her decision.

'_Tomorrow I'll just have to have a talk with him.'_ she said to herself. _'I'll let him know that I value him as a friend, but that's it. I don't mind spending time with him occasionally, but not every waking moment. I still have a life and my other friends. I won't let him talk me out of it this time.'_

So that's what she had done. When he arrived at her door bright and early, she had gathered her school things and walked with him. They walked in silence for a few minutes before she finally worked up enough nerve to bring up the subject.

"Hey Dominic," she said softly, "can I talk to you about something?"

He grinned down at her. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Well," she hedged, trying to think of the best way to start, "I want you to know that I had a really nice time with you this weekend."

His grin widened. "Yeah I did too. You're a lot of fun to be around, Serena. Luckily, Tokyo's a big city. There are a lot of other things for us to see and do."

Serena took a deep breath. This was her chance. "Yes. And I would be happy to go with you to some of them. But Dominic, I have my family and friends to think about too. I can't ignore them to spend all my time with you. You are a great friend, but not my only one."

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment Serena could have sworn that they turned hard and cold. She dismissed that thought a moment later when he looked at her with eyes full of sadness.

"So I'm just a friend, huh?" he muttered.

"Oh. I just knew this was going to happen." she cried. "I was afraid that you might be reading too much into our relationship. I care about you Dominic, but right now I'm not ready to jump into another relationship. I need some breathing room for a while."

He gave her a small smile. "Okay, I'll try to back off some."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks. And thank you for being so understanding."

"No problem." he said, looking around. "Uh, where are we?"

Serena glanced at her surroundings in shock. Somehow she had been so wrapped up in her thoughts and their conversation, that they must have taken a wrong turn. Now they were several blocks away from where they should be.

She looked at her watch and screeched when she saw the time. "Oh man, we'll have to hurry if we don't want to be late." She grabbed him by the arm and took off running at a brisk pace back the way they had just come from.

Luckily he was as fast a runner as she was, and they made it to school with several minutes to spare. Serena was feeling much lighter now that she and Dominic had straightened out their friendship. The first real smile she had been able to smile in days was securely on her face as she walked through the gates.

Just a couple of steps through though, she froze. The smile melted away and a shattered look entered her eyes as she stared at the dark haired boy that was talking to her friends across the yard.

Serena felt like she couldn't breath as she watched Darien from a distance. Her heart felt torn as she looked upon his handsome face. Even though she had tried to tell herself to be mad at him, she couldn't help feeling like wanting to run across the grass and throw herself into his arms.

Those tears that never seemed to be far away sprang to her eyes. She began backing out of the gate. "I'm sorry" she whispered to Dominic. "I suddenly don't feel so good. I think I'm going to go home."

Dominic took her by the arm and steered her back through the gate. He leaned her up against the wall and put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't let him get to you like that, Serena. You're stronger than that. You can't avoid him forever."

She had gently shrugged his hands off. "Tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow I can face him. But I just can't today. It hurts too much."

She had turned away to go home, but Dominic grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop. She looked up at him and then…

Well things got really fuzzy after that. The next thing she knew, Dominic was kissing her in the middle of the schoolyard for all to see.

She had just gathered her wits when Dominic was pulled roughly away from her and thrown to the ground. She stared in amazement at a positively furious Darien who was now standing between them.

Darien was breathing heavily and his body was trembling in its rage. His eyes had darkened to the point that they were almost black. There was a fire burning deep in their depths as he glared down at the man in front of him.

Serena shook her head slowly, not understanding what just happened. She couldn't remember walking back into the schoolyard, much less why she had been kissing Dominic like that. That confused fog that she had felt all weekend seemed to have descended on her once more.

"What the hell do you think you're doing with her?" Darien yelled furiously.

Dominic picked himself up off the ground and made a show of slowly brushing the dirt off of his clothes. He met those angry eyes with cool disdain. "I was just giving the beautiful woman that I just spent a magical weekend with a kiss. I don't see the harm with that."

Gasps were heard from the scouts. They had rushed over as soon as Darien had run away from them toward the couple. They all stared at Serena in disbelief as they heard Dominic's proclamation.

Raye was the first to recover from the shock. "Serena, is that true?"

Darien had turned to look at her as well. The anger was still in his eyes, but underneath a stronger emotion was burning. He silently begged for her to look at him and deny what this asshole had said, but her eyes were glued on Dominic.

Her mind was screaming at her to tell them that they were just friends, but when her mouth opened she heard herself saying instead, "Yes, we had a lovely time together."

Darien noticed that her eyes were glazed over. Like she wasn't completely in control of her body. It brought back flashes of the time he had spent in Beryl's clutches. When he had tried to fight against her brainwashing when she had sent him to fight against the sailor scouts to retrieve the Silver Crystal.

"You son of a bitch." Darien snarled, turning back to Dominic. "What have you done to her?"

"I should be asking you what you have done to her." Dominic sneered. "I found her huddled in a phone booth in the middle of a nervous breakdown on Friday thanks to you. She obviously needed a shoulder to cry on, and I was there for her. After she had a good cry and shared her feelings with me, she graciously offered to accompany me in some sightseeing. Isn't that right, Serena?"

She nodded her head slowly, still held in place by his eyes. "Yes" she said softly.

Dominic smiled. "So you see, Darien, I was there for her when you weren't. She needed someone to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. It seems that I was just the man for the job."

A low growl came from Darien's throat. "You stay away from her, do you hear me? I don't want to see you within a hundred feet of her."

Dominic actually laughed at that. "I do believe you sound jealous. It doesn't matter, she's too good for you anyway. I can't get over your stupidity. How could you possibly toss the closest thing to an angel on earth out of your life? She deserves better."

Darien clenched his fists. He knew Serena deserved better. He had never been worthy of her in either life, but she had chosen to love him. And as much as he hated hurting her to keep her safe, he wouldn't just stand by and see someone take advantage of her.

A blind rage settled over him as he took in the smirking, overconfident bastard. Before he knew what he was doing, he sent a fist flying at the other man's face.

Dominic met Serena's eyes for a split second, and she felt something powerful surge through her. Without even realizing that she moved, she flung herself between the two guys.

Darien's fist was on course to intercept with Dominic's jaw when there was a sudden flurry of gold. He pulled up just in time to keep from hitting Serena, who was now standing in front of him.

She stared up at him with wide, glittering blue eyes. She had been angry with Darien before, but now she was absolutely livid. She wasn't sure where all of the animosity came from, but she knew she couldn't let Darien hurt Dominic. He was innocent.

"Knock it off, Darien." she hissed in a low, even tone. "What I do is no concern of yours."

Darien stared down at those eyes that he loved so much. Usually when she was mad they sparkled with angry tears, but today they were dry, snapping with a furious fire that he had only seen a few times. Those times had been during battles when they had faced a particularly strong monster. That meant that she was beyond mad, his princess was pissed.

He took a step back and surveyed the petite blonde. He wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, but he tried anyway. "Listen, Sere…"

'_I love you, Sere.'_ the voice from her vision whispered in her head. She shook her head, tired of this torment. She stomped her foot as anger swept through her, taking all rational thought with it.

"Don't call me that!" she shrieked. "You have no right to call me by any nickname. You also can't tell me what I can and can't do. I will see who I want, when I want. You abandoned the privilege to have any say so in my life when you decided to cut my heart out and rip it to shreds. Did I ever mean anything to you, or was it all just a joke?"

Darien reared back in shock. "Of course you meant something to me. I…"

_Smack! _Her hand moved so fast that nobody saw it coming. Darien's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap she had just delivered to his cheek.

The whole schoolyard fell silent in the aftermath off that ringing slap. All eyes were now focused on the drama that seemed to be unfolding in their midst. They all stared in disbelief at the former enemies that had become the hottest couple in school. Many of them were wishing for a bag of popcorn so they could sit down and enjoy the show. It seemed that there was trouble in paradise and the war was back on.

"Don't lie to me, Darien." Serena whispered brokenly as scalding tears finally broke from her eyes. "I should have seen it coming. One day you were so cold to me, and the next you were so sweet. I'm sure it gave you a great laugh to pull one over on this 'Meatball Head'. Well congratulations, you have successfully succeeded in making me feel like I would be better off dead."

Darien looked deep into those tortured eyes and couldn't take it anymore. He reached out to her to pull her into his arms and beg for her forgiveness, but she scrambled away from him, right into Dominic who put comforting hands on her shoulders.

"Serena, please…" he tried desperately to reason with her. He couldn't stand to see the pain she was in because of him.

"No Darien." she cried. "You had your shot and you blew it. I thought we could be happy together. You bastard! You made me love you! I hope you had your fun, because you won't get to ever hurt me like that again."

"What's going on here?" a voice called out, pushing through the crowd. The principal arrived and surveyed the scene. "Ah, Miss Tsukino, just the person I was looking for. Your mother called and left a message for you. It seems that she has headed to the countryside today with your father. The elementary school called her and said that your cousin wasn't feeling good. She wanted to know if you would go get her and take her home and look after her."

Serena's eyes immediately filled with concern. "Oh no, Rini's sick? The poor thing. I've got to go get her right away."

She shot a last glare at Darien before turning and facing Dominic. She still felt like something weird was going on, but she didn't have time to think about it now. She gave him a small smile. "I guess I'll talk to you later."

"I'll call you this afternoon." Dominic told her.

"Okay" she agreed before turning to her other friends. She ran over and gave each of them a quick hug. "Sorry guys, but I guess I have to run."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Mina asked.

Serena waved them off. "Nah, I think I can handle a sick eight year old by myself. I'll see all of you later."

"I'll bring your assignments by after school." Amy told her.

"Thanks Ames." Serena called back as she ran for the gate. "See you later guys."

_**End Flashback**_

She pushed herself away from the door with a sigh. That had just been the start of the week from hell. She had tried her best to avoid Darien at all costs, but it was hard to do when they went to the same school. She had even been avoiding the arcade, knowing that if she went in there she would probably see him. She missed Andrew and hanging out with the girls drinking milkshakes, but it was hard seeing him.

Dominic had been a bit of a pain too. True to his word, he had backed off some. She had gone back to her usual routine of walking to school with the girls, but he was always right there waiting when she arrived every morning. She still didn't understand why she felt so funny around him, and it unnerved her a bit. But he was nice and charming so she continued to hang out with him some.

She sensed that the girls didn't care for him much. They had asked her about him, and she had tried to assure them that they were just friends. She knew it looked like more to others because of the way that he would always take her hand and the few kisses that he managed to sneak in. To be honest, she wasn't exactly sure how to classify their relationship anymore.

What she was tired of was having to come in between Darien and Dominic. It seemed every time she turned around, the two of them were in each other's faces. Since they were in school, the fights had luckily not turned into anything physical, but that had all changed this afternoon.

**_Earlier that afternoon_**

Serena had been suffering from what she seriously considered to be withdrawal symptoms from the lack of her daily milkshakes. She also missed visiting with Andrew terribly. She saw him in school, but Darien was usually somewhere close by so she had been avoiding him too.

That particular day she was glum. All of the girls were going to be gone for the weekend. Raye was going to visit a cousin of hers that was an artist that lived near a lake a couple of hours away. Amy was accompanying her mother to a weekend medical seminar. Lita was going to a two-day cooking retreat. And Mina had to go with her parents to visit her grandmother in Kyoto. So she was feeling pretty lonely.

After school, instead of going home like she usually did, she found herself walking in the direction of the arcade. When she got there, she peeked inside carefully. She spotted Andrew behind the counter as usual, but there was no sign of the raven head that usually sat on the end stool. Figuring it was safe to pop in for a quick milkshake, she scurried through the doors.

Andrew greeted her with a wide smile. "There she is. I was wondering where you had gotten off to. I haven't seen you in here all week."

"Sorry Drew" she apologized quickly. "I've been busy."

Andrew stared her down. "You can't fool me, Serena. I've known you your whole life and can read you like a book. I know the real reason why you haven't been in. I can't figure out what's wrong with that idiot. It's obvious he's crazy about you."

She held up a hand to stop him. "Please Drew, don't. Can I just get a chocolate shake please?"

Andrew looked at her in sympathy. "Sure thing. Coming right up." He made her shake and sat it in front of her before being called away to wait on other customers.

Serena took a long, refreshing gulp of the chocolaty concoction and felt better almost immediately. She sat there and thought about the long weekend in front of her. It wouldn't be so bad. There were some things that Rini had asked her if they could go do. She would just spend the weekend with the little girl. Maybe they could go to the amusement park.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't see the person walk in. It wasn't until hands covered her eyes and a voice whispered "Guess who" that she even realized that someone had come up behind her.

She turned quickly to find Dominic smiling down at her.

"Oh hi" she said with a fake cheerfulness. "Where were you at today? You weren't in school."

"I had some things to take care of." he replied, his grin widening. "Did you miss me?"

She wasn't sure how to respond. It had actually been a nice day with him not being around. With him being absent, she hadn't had to come between him and Darien's little macho showdowns, so she had been able to avoid Darien all together.

"Uh sure." she muttered.

"So, Serena" Dominic said hesitantly. "I know you said all of your friends were going out of town this weekend, and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to get together and do something."

Inwardly she sighed. She should have known this was coming. "I'm sorry, Dominic, but I already have plans with my family this weekend. Maybe some other time."

He looked crestfallen. "Oh, I see. Are you going to be busy the whole weekend?"

She started feeling that haze gathering around her brain again, but this time she fought it back with everything she had. "I'm afraid so. My parents asked me to not make any plans." she lied. For some reason the prospect of spending the next two days in the company of a little girl sounded more appealing than hanging out with him.

"Are you sure you can't get away for just a few hours." he said softly. "There's a new restaurant that just opened that I would love to take you to."

Serena shook her head and looked up to refuse him once more. But when her eyes met his, the refusal died on her tongue. "I…I…"

"I believe the lady said she had other plans this weekend. Maybe you should take the hint." a cold voice said behind them.

Serena cringed when she heard that voice that she knew so well, but closed her eyes in relief. As much as she didn't want to see Darien, she was grateful that he had shown up when he had to keep her from blindly going along with Dominic's wishes once more.

Dominic turned to cast a dismissing look over the fuming earth prince. "I don't believe this conversation concerns you. It's none of your business."

"I make it my business when I see some guy trying to force a girl to go out with him when she is obviously not interested. You need to get a life." Darien growled.

"What does it matter to you?" Dominic replied, getting up from his seat so that he was on a more even level with Darien. "I believe she already told you that she was capable of making her own decisions without your help."

"But is she really making her own decisions?" Darien said in a quiet, but deadly voice.

Serena wasn't exactly sure what happened next. All she knew was that she had to jump quickly out of the way to avoid getting knocked over by the two larger male bodies that had crashed into each other. Muffled grunts were heard as fists began flying at each other.

Serena ran over to Andrew and begged him. "Drew, please make them stop."

Andrew stared wide-eyed at the fight and shook his head. "No way, Serena. I'm not getting in the middle of that. They're both crazy right now. At the rate they're going they're liable to kill each other."

Serena looked back at the struggling men as they broke apart. She winced when Darien's fist then collided hard into Dominic's jaw. Dominic stumbled back a step and shook his head before sending an iron fist of his own straight into Darien's stomach.

She couldn't help the sharp cry that escaped her lips as Darin fell to the floor. She started to run over and break them up, but Andrew's hand on her arm stopped her. She struggled against him.

"Let me go, Drew." she cried. "I've got to stop them."

"Are you nuts? If you go over there right now you might get hurt." Andrew scolded. "This fight's not finished yet."

The words were barely out of his mouth when Darien suddenly kicked out with a leg, knocking Dominic off his feet and bringing him crashing to the floor as well.

"Knock it off you two." Serena yelled at them as they both lunged at each other again and went rolling across the floor.

Darien emerged on top. "I'm warning you," he ground out between clenched teeth, "stay away from Serena. I don't know what kind of game you're playing with her, but it ends now."

Dominic gave him an evil smirk. "I'm not doing anything to her that she doesn't want me to do. I know it's hard to let her go. I've tasted those sweet lips. They are quite addicting."

Serena couldn't hear exactly what they were saying to each other, but she saw Darien's face go blood red for a moment before fading to a stark white at Dominic's words. One look at his ocean blue eyes showed his sanity snap and they burned with a murderous rage. She saw him pulled back his fist, preparing to send it smashing into Dominic's face.

"No, no, Darien, don't do it." she cried, pulling desperately against Andrew's restraining hand.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. She saw the fist descending as if it were merely a feather floating lazily through the air. With a strength she didn't even know she possessed, she tore her arm free from Andrew and ran toward them. She threw herself at Darien, knocking them both to the ground. After that, things went blank.

She came to a few minutes later to find herself lying on the couch in the arcade's staff room. She blinked in confusion at the blur above her. After a moment, her vision cleared and she was able to make out Andrew and Darien's concerned faces. They both sighed in relief to see her awake.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"You passed out." Darien told her.

She groaned and closed her eyes. "Again? I have never fainted in my life, now suddenly over the last couple of weeks I seem to be finding myself unconscious quite a bit."

Andrew forced out a light laugh. "It wasn't a big deal, Serena. I think you just got overwhelmed by all of the action."

Her mind raced back over the earlier events. She remembered Darien and Dominic fighting and the rage on Darien's face as he was about to rearrange Dominic's face.

"What happened to Dominic?" she asked, opening her eyes to glare at Darien. "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

Darien growled. "No, but I should have. He got lucky, thanks to you."

She sat up with a huff. "Well what did you expect me to do? I couldn't just stand there and watch that. What were you thinking, getting into a fight with him like that?"

It was Darien's turn to glare. "What were you thinking hanging out with him? There's something weird about that guy. He's up to no good."

"What does it matter to you?" Serena snapped. "What I do with my time is my business."

He let out a deep sigh. "Look, just because I said I didn't want to go out with you anymore doesn't mean I want to see you get hurt. There's something off about Dominic. You even act different when you're around him. He seems very controlling to me."

Serena thought about his words and knew he was right. There was something very different about Dominic. She just wasn't sure what it was. One part of her wanted to tell him about how she didn't feel like she was in control of her own senses when she was with Dominic. There was another part of her, however, that still found it very hard to be in his presence. That side won.

She got up shakily from the couch. "Thanks for the concern, Darien, but I can take care of myself.

She reached the door and paused before turning to Andrew. "Is he still out there?"

Andrew shook his head. "No. My dad heard all the noise from the fight and came down from his office to see what was going on. He told Dominic to leave."

She nodded as she turned the knob. "Good. I don't think I can handle anymore overbearing testosterone today. I'm seriously thinking about swearing off guys for a while. I'm going home."

**_Present_**

Serena threw herself across the bed with a sigh. She wondered when her life had gotten so complicated. It was enough to make her wish that she could turn back time and go back to the way things used to be. To before Dominic had moved here and before Darien had become so important in her life. Things had been much simpler then.

There was a soft 'meow' as Luna jumped up on the bed next to her and nudged her with her head. She idly rubbed the cat behind the ears as she thought.

"You know, Luna," she suddenly said, "I'm really starting to think that men are the bane of women's existence. I've always heard them complain about not being able to understand women, but they are so much more confusing in my opinion. Why do they have to throw out such confusing signals?"

"Meow" Luna said, cocking her head to the side.

Serena giggled. "Oh I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but it feels good to talk to somebody about this. I just don't get these guys. Dominic is nice and all, but he just seems so…intense. I feel so strange when I'm with him. Like I can't say no to him, no matter what. It's almost like I'm not even me when he's around. And then there's Darien."

She was quiet for a moment before she whispered to the cat. "I really love him a lot, Luna. I feel like a have for a very long time."

She didn't see the way Luna's eyes widened at her words or hear the breath that caught in her throat.

"It's really weird." she continued. "I see him in my mind all the time. It's almost like a dream, but it feels so strange. It's like we knew each other before in another time and place, but it feels so bittersweet. I thought he felt as deeply for me until he pushed me away. Then today he acts all concerned about me. It's so confusing. I don't know what to do."

Luna watched her mistress with troubled eyes, wishing she could talk to her. Her princess was hurting now, and she had to sit here, mute, unable to help her.

Serena turned her eyes back to her cat and gave a small smile. "I guess I'll figure out something eventually. Thanks for listening, Luna."

There was a knock at the door before it opened and a small pink haired head appeared in the crack. Rini took a look at Serena's troubled face and sighed. "Uh oh, is Darien being a jerk again?"

Rini was very upset with the way that Darien was treating Serena. She knew that he cared for her deeply, so she had a hard time understanding why he was being so cold to the blonde haired girl. She had asked him about it that day at his apartment after she had witnessed that scene between him and Serena, but he had just told her that she was too young to understand.

Instead, he had begun questioning her about where she had come from and how she knew everyone's secret identities. Rini was so mad at him though that she clammed up and refused to tell him anything.

Since then, she had avoided being alone with him or any of the scouts. Every time she was, they pestered her with questions. She decided to spend as much time with Serena as possible. She had no idea how to reach Sailor Moon though, and it was frustrating for the little girl.

Serena sat up and smiled at her. "Yes he is, but it's okay. I think I'm done with men for now. I don't to even think about him or Dominic right now."

Rini scowled. "I don't like that Dominic. He looks at you funny."

Serena couldn't help but laugh. The little girl looked so cute with her nose wrinkled up in disgust. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. Now how about we talk about other things. What do you think about going to the amusement park tomorrow?"

Rini squealed as she ran across the room to jump on Serena. "Can we really? That would be so great."

* * *

Diamond flinched as he touched his tender jaw. He cursed himself under his breath. He would have never figured Endymion to be any kind of a fighter, but the earth prince had surprised him today by getting in several well-placed hits.

Normally he never participated in physical battles, but that fool had made him so mad when he broke into his and Serenity's conversation that he couldn't help it. He had just used enough of his mind control to convince her to spend the weekend with him when he had shown up and blown everything.

He sighed as he swirled the glass in his hand. Serenity was also proving to be more difficult than he first expected. He had to use his hypnotic powers on her more and more to get her to agree to spend time with him, and he hated that. He wanted her to be with him willingly. She had seemed open to him in the beginning, but now he sensed her pulling away.

He knew that even though they weren't together, she still dwelled on Endymion. He didn't know why that idiot had chosen to break up with Serenity, but it had worked in nicely with his plans, at least in the beginning. He couldn't understand why she continued to care for the prince after he broke her heart the way he did. She deserved so much better. Why couldn't she see that?

The doors opened, admitting Sapphire and Emerald. They both approached him and bowed low.

"You sent for us, brother?" Sapphire asked.

"Yes" Diamond said. "The current plan is not working out as expected. We need to come up with something else. I have been thinking about this and think I have come up with a solution."

"What is your plan, my prince?" Emerald asked, coyly batting her lashes at him.

"We're going to engineer an attack." Diamond told them. "Are the droids ready?"

Sapphire nodded. "They are ready and await your command. Just say when and where."

Diamond smiled as he looked at the holographic image of Serena sitting on her bed, chatting excitedly with that annoying little princess from Crystal Tokyo. "Good. I want you to pick the one best for this job. Tomorrow it will attack the amusement park, and its target will be Serenity and that little brat daughter of hers."

Emerald's eyes shown with malicious glee. "You're going to attack her? I thought she was off limits."

Diamond flicked an amused glance over her. "She is off limits to everyone but me. She is being difficult though, so I decided she needs a little push. I don't think she'll be able to resist me once I save her from the droid. The timing is perfect. The scouts are all out of town and the only one around is that pathetic Endymion."

Emerald's gaze hardened. She had thought for a moment that Diamond had finally given up on his crazy quest to claim the moon princess for himself. It made her blood boil as she realized that he was still just as determined as ever. What she wouldn't give to have that frail, timid little princess in front of her. She would take pleasure in ripping that long golden hair from her head before carving her face up so badly that no man would ever want to look at her again.

"Calm yourself, Emerald." Diamond drawled silkily. "Jealousy doesn't suit you."

Emerald reined in her emotions and let out a shrill laugh that made both men cringe. "Me jealous of that little flake? I don't think so. I'm just biding my time until you realize that you need a real woman by your side, my prince. And when that time comes, I'll be waiting."

Diamond smirked as he looked at the woman. Sure, she was fun for a romp every now and then, but she paled in comparison to the vibrant Serenity. There was no way she could compete with her.

Sapphire nodded. "I think I know just the droid for the job. It will be ready when you need it."

"Excellent" Diamond commended him. "Hopefully by this time tomorrow I'll have my queen exactly where I want her."

* * *

Tuxedo Mask shifted his position carefully on the branch outside Serena's bedroom window. He had been avoiding coming anywhere near her house for the past week, letting the scouts take care of looking out for her. But since they were all away this weekend, it was up to him to be her guard.

The moon was shining brightly tonight. Its glow was enough to illuminate the room beyond the window, making it easy for him to see the sleeping girl in the bed. Even though it was torture, he allowed himself to revel in looking at her beautiful face.

He had missed her so much this past week. She seemed to be avoiding him as much as he was her since the big scene in the schoolyard Monday morning. Until today at the arcade, he had only caught brief glimpses of her at school, except when she was getting in between him and Dominic. But those were quick, cold exchanges.

He had avoided the arcade for a few days until he had finally given in to the perverse need to see her. But she was never there, until today. His heart had given a giant leap when he had seen her golden pigtails at the counter.

His joy had turned to rage, however, when he had seen who was sitting next to her. He had come up behind them without them knowing. Hearing Dominic try to force Serena to go out with him had set him off. He wasn't the type to get into fights easily, but it had felt good to vent his frustrations on that smug bastard.

When Dominic had talked about kissing Serena, he had felt like killing him. If it hadn't been for Serena acting when she did, he didn't know what he might have done.

He smiled a little when he thought about those moments after she had thrown herself on him. The Silver Crystal may have locked away her memories of the past, but they were lying right below the surface. He had seen the proof of that as he lay sprawled on the arcade floor with her on top of him.

She had stared down at him with watery, crystal blue eyes. She had reached out and cupped his cheek gently in her soft hand. "Please don't do this, Endymion." she had whispered. "He's not worth it."

She had passed out after that, which had worried him. But she seemed fine when she had come to a few minutes later. He had been a little disappointed when she didn't seem to have regained any of her memories, but that was probably for the best.

He had a hard enough time staying away from her as it was. If she were to remember everything and what they meant to each other, it would just complicate matters and make it that much harder for him to stick to his decision to not be with her. The horrible dreams and visions had stopped after he had broken things off with her, so he was convinced he was doing the right thing. He had to keep his distance in order to keep her safe.

As he watched her, she began tossing and turning in her sleep. Her face scrunched up as if whatever she was dreaming wasn't pleasant. When she began softly crying, he couldn't stop himself. He pushed the partially open window up and slipped inside.

He approached the bed on silent feet and knelt down next to her. Her head tossed back and forth as tears ran down her cheeks. Her hands were clutching the sheets tightly, the knuckles white with the strain. She was mumbling in her sleep.

"No…no…please…come back to me." she was saying. "You can't leave me like this, Endymion, please."

Tuxedo Mask froze in shock as he realized that she must be dreaming of their past. He knew that the only thing that she could be dreaming that would upset her like this would be the final day on the moon, the day that they had died. His suspicions were confirmed when a moment later she let out a sharp cry and clutched at her chest where she had pierced her own heart with his sword.

She fell still and quiet for a moment before a quiet sob broke from her lips. More tears spilled from her eyes as she began mumbling again.

"Why Darien?" she whispered. "What did I do? Why can't you love me?"

His already broken heart shattered even more as he heard her words. If she only knew how much he did love her.

"She does this every night." a voice came from the window. He turned to find Luna sitting on the windowsill, watching him with accusing eyes. "Every since you broke up with her she been having these dreams every night. Do you know how hard it is for me to sit here and watch her go through this night after night? You obviously still care for her, or you wouldn't be here. So why are you doing this to her?"

He sighed. "It's complicated, Luna. I have to do this. It doesn't matter what we want, it's for her own good. She's not safe with me."

"That's a load of bull." Luna snorted. "Times have changed. You two were meant to be together and now you can. There's nothing stopping you now like there was in the past. You seem to forget all that she has done for you. She risked her life to save you from Beryl. She sat up for nights on end, plotting and planning on how to get you back. She killed herself on the moon rather than live without you, and this is how you repay her."

He felt irritated at the cat's words. He knew better than anyone all that Serena had sacrificed. "I know what she's done. But you just have to believe me, nothing good can come out of her being with me. I'm doing this because I do love her. I would rather be apart from her and know that she's safe, rather than put her at risk and chance losing her all together."

He leaned down and brushed a light kiss over her slightly parted lips. He tasted her tears and felt like crying himself. "Sleep well, my princess. I hope no more dreams plague you tonight. I'll always be watching over you, even if you don't know it. I love you."

He turned and slipped quietly back out the window to return to his post in the tree, leaving a speechless Luna shaking her head. Something had definitely spooked the earth prince badly. She just hoped that he figured out whatever it was and came to his senses soon. The two of them were meant to be together, and she was afraid that if this separation went on for too long, it would eventually destroy them both.

**A/N** So is Serena ready to kick Dominic to the curb? What will happen at the amusement park? Will Diamond swoop in and save the day, or will our ever faithful masked hero be the knight in shining armor? So many questions waiting to be answered. Let me know what you think and drop me a review. Reviews = Happy Sere-chan…LOL. Later guys!


	8. Deadly Amusement

**A/N **Okay, I know you guys have been waiting for this. Sorry about the wait. The only thing I can blame is real life. Dealing with holidays and family along with school and work and my own Prince Charming got in the way. I will be super busy the next couple of weeks with exams and all, but I will try to update both of my stories as much a possible. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty much caught up at the moment and the weather men are predicting a cold weekend and maybe some snow here, so I'll probably curl up with my laptop and try to get some more writing done. I don't like the cold! Enough about that, time for hugs. BIG HUGS TO:

**CharmedSerenity3**

**ange de l'aube**

**Jacks**

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**luna345**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**xo Usako ox**

**bakagirl123**

**uhamilton **

**JoFlake**

**idfcv **

**JungkO**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**missmyrtlemay **

**TatianaRomanov**

**Chichiforever**

Thanks guys for your wonderful support. I started editing and posting this as a stress reliever for when Lunar Princess gave me a hard time, but your responses have turned this into a major project for me. As if I don't have enough to do…lol. Just kidding! I hope you all like it. And please read my note at the end, I have a couple of questions that I would love to get your feedback on.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 8

Deadly Amusement

"Hey Serena, can we go on the Ferris wheel next?" Rini asked excitedly as she clung to Serena's hand and turned her best puppy dog eyes on her.

Serena used a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sun as she gazed up at the enormous ride. It was one of her favorites, but she wasn't sure how the little girl would react to being up so high off the ground.

"I don't know, Rini." she hedged. "It goes up pretty high. Are you sure you won't be scared?"

Rini rolled her eyes. "No way. I've been on the Ferris wheel lots of times. It's my mommy's favorite, and she makes daddy and I ride it with her every time we go to the amusement park."

That made Serena stop and think for a minute about who Rini's parents were. Who were these people that she was supposedly related to, but had no memory of? She shrugged it off and decided not to worry about it. Today was supposed to be a day of fun.

"Okay, the Ferris Wheel it is." Serena agreed. "After that, what do you say we hunt down some lunch? I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

Rini's face lit up with a huge smile. "Can I have a pronto pup and some nachos?"

"Sure you can." Serena answered. "That actually sounds really good. Maybe later we can get a funnel cake."

Rini jumped up and down as she squealed in delight. Serena couldn't help smiling at the delighted picture she made. It made her feel so good to make this little girl happy. It was hard to remember the anger she had felt the first day this little girl had literally dropped into her life. Even though she had her moments, she was an adorable, lovable child that deserved to be happy.

Serena began leading her toward the ride. "Let's go get in line. It's not long right now, so we should be able to get on pretty quick."

Sure enough, they only had to wait for a few minutes before they were seated in one of the cars and sailing up into the afternoon sky. They both shrieked in excitement as the wind rushed past them.

They came to a stop near the top as the ride halted to let more passengers get on. Rini's face glowed as she looked out over the part of the city she could see from there.

"Oh wow." she sighed. "Tokyo looks so pretty from up here. It's so much different from the view back home."

Curiosity got the better of Serena, and she couldn't help but ask, "Do you live in the country, Rini?"

The little girl shook her head. "No, I live in a city, but it's different. We don't have much grass or many trees. It's big like Tokyo, just different."

Serena knew what she meant. She had always been glad that her family lived in what was considered the suburban section of the city. The Juuban and Azabu districts were neighbors. And while they held all of the conveniences of city life, their parks and quiet neighborhoods made them seem separate from the bustling Tokyo metropolis.

The ride started up again, and the two girls squealed as they spent the next several minutes enjoying traveling around the large wheel. When their time was up, they emerged looking slightly tousled with huge smiles on their faces.

"Now let's go find some food." Serena said as they made their way toward the food vendors.

As they waited for their food, the lady that worked at the food stall smiled as she looked at them.

"What a darling little girl. Is she your sister?" she asked conversationally.

Rini giggled as Serena answered. "Yes she is."

"I figured she must be." the woman replied. "You two look so much alike. If you were the same age, you could pass for twins. I think it's nice that you are spending the day with your little sister. You don't see too many teenagers nowadays that are interested in doing things with their younger siblings."

Serena and Rini just smiled. This was a joke that they had pulled a few times over the last couple of weeks, and everyone always fell for it. It was true that the two of them looked a lot alike. That reason alone made Serena think that she just had to be related to Rini, even if she didn't remember having a cousin.

"Here you go dears." the lady said, handing them their order. "You both enjoy the rest of the day."

"Thank you." the girls responded. They carried their food over to an empty table and began devouring the lunch with ravenous appetites. In between bites, they planned out their route for the rest of the afternoon, unaware of several sets of eyes that were watching them intently.

* * *

"Is everything set, Sapphire?" Diamond asked from his watchful position. From where he was situated in the shadows of one of the game booths, he had a perfect view of Serena as she sat eating and talking with that abominable pink haired brat.

The man next to him shifted slightly. "Yes Diamond, I finished programming the droid last night. It is set to go after Serenity, but will change its course once you show up and get her out of the way. If you can manage to separate her from the girl, it will capture her."

"Very good." Diamond mused. "We have no room for error. Serenity is beginning to become resistant to my hypnotic control. I need this to work properly in hopes of winning her over."

A small growl came from behind them, causing them both to turn and look at the woman behind them. Emerald stood there with her teeth gritted and fists clenched. She glared in the direction of the moon princess with an expression of deep loathing on her face.

Sapphire sighed. "If you don't want to see this then leave, Emerald. I don't know why you insisted on coming anyway."

Emerald started at the sound of his snapping voice and quickly placed a wide smile on her face. She tittered out that annoying, high-pitched laugh of hers. "Don't be ridiculous, Sapphire. I wouldn't miss this for anything in the world. It should be amusing to see the perfect Neo Queen Serenity running from a droid."

Diamond chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up too high, Emerald. I have no intention of letting Serenity be in any danger. The point of this little exercise is just to scare her. She'll believe the danger is real, and be grateful to me for her rescue. If we can manage to get our hands on that brat of hers, that will just be an added bonus."

Both men turned back to continue their surveillance, not seeing the conniving grin that appeared on Emerald's face. Her eyes glinted with malicious intent. "We'll just see about that." she murmured to herself. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well."

A satisfied look came across Diamond's face as he watched the unsuspecting pair finish their meal and dispose of the trash. Hand in hand, they skipped toward the funhouse.

"Perfect" he purred. He turned to Sapphire. "Let's move."

* * *

"Okay. Tell me again why we are sneaking around an amusement park like a couple of James Bond wannabes." Andrew complained. "I always knew you were crazy, Darien, but this tops anything I've ever seen you do."

"Shh" Darien shushed him harshly. "I don't want to blow our cover."

Andrew just groaned as he leaned back in his chair. The two teenage boys were seated at a table on the opposite side of the eating area from Serena and Rini. Both were sporting ball caps and dark sunglasses. Not unusual apparel for a day like today. But after spending the last couple of hours tagging along after his best friend as he covertly stalked the two girls through the park, Andrew's nerves were stretched near to their breaking point.

"Look man," Andrew huffed, "I get the whole 'the scouts are all off gallivanting around for the weekend and you're the only one left to watch out for Serena' thing. I do. I don't even mind helping out. Serena's like my sister, and I'm happy to keep an eye on her. But all of this cloak and dagger stuff is taking it a little too far, don't you think?"

Darien growled. "If you don't want to be here, then go. Nobody's stopping you. I just liked the idea of having some back up in case anything happens. Serena knows and trusts you, so you were the obvious choice. But if this is ruining your day, then feel free to leave. I can handle it."

Andrew's eyes narrowed. "I didn't mean it like that, and you know it. I've known Serena for her whole life, and it's nice to feel useful." A smirk crossed his face. "Anyway, I was coming to her rescue long before you ever showed up. The playground bullies never came near her as long as I was around."

A small smile finally broke across Darien's face. "Ah, but I have you beat. I was her protector a thousand years ago."

"Touché" Andrew acknowledged. "I just don't see why we have to be so secretive. I mean, it wouldn't be that big of a deal if she saw us. She would just think that we were here goofing off."

Darien didn't answer. The truth was that he was enjoying watching her enjoy herself. After the episode last night in her bedroom when he discovered her nightmares and found out how much pain she was in because of him, it was nice to see her smiling and so carefree. He thought it was best for her if she didn't even know he was there. The thought of seeing that hurt, heartbroken look that always seemed to appear when he was around enter her eyes again cut him deeply.

"You okay?" Andrew's voice cut through his thoughts. "You look like you're a million miles away."

Darien shook himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is about to happen. The scouts picked a hell of a time for all of them to have a holiday."

He looked back to his friend to see that Andrew had pulled his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose and was now staring at him with hard hazel eyes. "What?"

Andrew continued to glare at him with his icy gaze. "The only bad thing that has been happening around here lately is you. I still don't get why you dumped her like that. I thought you two had something good going on. It was nice not listening to you guys bicker all the time. One day you were all lovey dovey, the next she's drowning herself in her own tears at the arcade saying that you broke up."

Darien shook his head. "It just wasn't going to work out, Drew. I figured it was best to break it off before we both got in too deep. Less painful that way."

Andrew snorted. "And yet here you are, watching her because you're afraid something's going to happen to her. That's kind of contradictory."

"That's different." Darien interjected. "It's part of my job to protect her and keep the Silver Crystal safe."

"That's bullshit and we both know it." Andrew said coldly. "This doesn't have anything to do with who she was in the past or that damn crystal. Something scared you. Something bad enough to make you push away the best thing that ever walked into your life. What was it? Did she get too close to tearing down those walls that you've built up around yourself?"

Darien sighed. "No, it's not that. Letting her in was the easy part."

"Then what is it?" Andrew asked, now looking at him in concern. "It's obvious that you still care for her, and I know she's crazy about you. Why put yourselves through this misery?"

Darien shook his head. "It's complicated."

"Try me." Andrew replied with a smirk.

After several long moments of studying his friend's sincere face, Darien decided to take a gamble. He was tired of dealing with this all on his own, and felt like getting someone else's perspective. He had wanted to ask Raye, since visions and such were her area of expertise, but he was barely on speaking terms with any of the scouts at the moment. Even the usually quiet Amy had cut him down with scathing looks and a few harsh words. He didn't blame them; he had hurt their princess.

He spilled out the whole pathetic story. He told Andrew about the dreams, about seeing Serena in danger and the creepy image of her lifeless body lying in that crystal casket. He didn't hold anything back as he spoke of the ominous voice that warned him to stay away from Serena, and how he saw himself grieving for her in the future.

Things were quiet for several seconds after he finished his explanation as Andrew thought over everything he had just heard, then the anger set in.

"You broke up with Serena over some bad dreams?" he growled.

Darien groaned. "It's more than that, Drew. I was having visions when I was awake too. I think they were premonitions of the future."

"And I think you're crazier than hell!" Andrew snapped. "Are you even listening to yourself? You may be book smart, but sometimes I wonder if you have any common sense."

Darien was taken by surprise at that statement. "What do you mean?"

Andrew chuckled in amusement. "Think about it. You've dealt with enough supernatural stuff to read the signs. Beryl messed with your head, didn't she? There's obviously a new enemy running around. And after that youma attack at the park, I think it's safe to assume that Serena is a target. If someone is trying to grab her, they would want to try to get you out of the way."

Darien pulled his sunglasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in agitation. "What's your point?"

Andrew looked superior, like he had just solved the crime of the century. "What if the new enemy is making you see that stuff to keep you away from Serena so that they have a clear shot?"

Darien's head jerked up and his eyes widened. He had never thought of that. But now that Andrew had brought it up, he considered that it could be a possibility. A small amount of hope began to bloom inside him. Could he and Serena still be together? Had he acted recklessly and hurt her for all of the wrong reasons? Would she even consider taking him back after all that he had done?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Serena and Rini stand up from their table and throw their trash away. They began walking in the direction of the funhouse, Rini holding tight to Serena's hand while the older girl laughed along with her.

Andrew smiled to himself as he saw the emotions running across his friend's face. He had him thinking now. Maybe Darien wasn't as thick as he appeared to be. He hoped that he acted soon and got Serena back before someone else, like that Dominic, snatched her up.

As he stared at her beautiful, glowing face, Darien felt determination set in. She was _his_ princess. They had died for each other. Queen Serenity had sacrificed herself so that they could be together and love one another. That had to mean that they were meant to be. He had been an idiot for ever doubting that. Now did he still have a chance with the blonde beauty?

"Come on!" he exclaimed, dragging Andrew out of his chair and hauling him in the direction of the funhouse.

Andrew grinned as he ran behind his friend. This had been easier than he thought it would be. He and Mina, both being hopeless romantics, had spent hours trying to figure out what had come between their friends and plotting ways to try and get them together again. He smirked to himself. Wouldn't the self-proclaimed goddess of love be surprised when she came home and found out the progress he made.

* * *

"Ha ha. Serena come look at this one, it's funny." Rini laughed as she looked into a mirror.

Serena burst out laughing as well as she stepped up beside the girl and looked at their reflections. They both looked to be twice as tall as normal and only half as wide. "We look like we've been stretched like rubber bands."

They stepped in front of the next one and broke into a fit of giggles. This one made them appear to be short and fat.

"I liked the other one better." Rini said as she stepped back to the other mirror to look at herself being tall and ultra skinny again.

Serena shook her head at the little girl's antics as she moved on to the next mirror. This one was wavy, giving her reflection a shuddering look whenever she moved. As she continued to gaze into the mirror, the movement of her image increased. She suddenly realized that the mirror was moving and barely had time to jump back as it gave a lurch and came crashing down.

Serena shrieked as the glass shattered, tiny shards flying to knick her arms in a few places as she raised them to protect her face. When she opened her eyes and looked back to where the mirror had stood, she was shocked at what she saw.

Standing there was a…well, woman was probably the only way to describe it. But it didn't look like any woman Serena had ever seen.

Clad in a black leather cat suit, this _"woman" _had pale blue, icy looking skin. Her facial features were overly exaggerated. Wide spaced eyes were stretched out like a cat's while the nose and chin came to sharp points. Short, spiky black hair was shot through with red streaks that matched the eyes and the jewel embedded in the forehead.

The freakiest part, however, were the hands. At the ends of the slim blue fingers, instead of fingernails, there appeared to be ten inch long pointed spikes. Each one looked deadly and razor sharp.

Serena scrambled backward, grabbing Rini and shoving her behind her as she stared at the apparition in front of her. She knew that this was definitely not part of the attraction and all of her senses were on high alert.

'_Oh crap, I've finally lost it.' _she thought frantically to herself. _'I knew I was going to go insane eventually. There is no way that this is really happening.'_

The creature stepped forward with a feral look on her face. "So you like to look at yourself in mirrors, do you? That's not a healthy pastime for a young lady. You need to be taught a lesson." it sneered in a high, cold voice.

Serena shrank back further as the demonic looking woman continued to advance on her, clicking her long claws. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she demanded.

An evil cackle left the woman. "You may call me Vanity. And I am here to carve up that pretty face of yours. You will never want to look in a mirror again once I'm done with you." She swung a hand at the blonde girl.

Serena shrieked and ducked quickly. Spinning around, she grabbed Rini up in her arms and began running. The next part of the funhouse was a maze, and in her panic, she quickly became lost.

Turning a corner, she was confronted with a dead end. She turned to go in a different direction, but was brought up short by the sight of her enemy barely ten feet from her.

"Going somewhere, my pretty?" the demon lady laughed. "There's no way you can escape from me."

Serena set Rini on her feet again and pushed her behind her once more. They were trapped at the dead end with nowhere to go. Figuring her time was up; she closed her eyes tightly as she waited for those claws to rip into her skin, slicing it to shreds.

Instead of the pain, she felt a hand grab her arm and give her a pull. She fell sideways through a crack that had appeared between two of the pieces of plywood that made up the walls of the maze.

She felt arms around her as she was lifted from the floor. A jostling sensation told her that whoever was carrying her was running. She wasn't sure if who had her was friend or foe, but she was glad to be away from that freak.

Her eyes flew open with the sudden realization that while she had been rescued, Rini was no longer with her. She began struggling to get out of the embracing arms. Whoever was carrying her stopped running and set her on her feet. Her hair was covering her eyes though, so she couldn't see the person that was still holding her arms.

"Calm down, Serena. You're okay now." a voice told her softly.

She froze at the sound. She knew that voice. She raised her hands to brush the annoying hair out of her face so that her eyes could confirm what her ears had already pinpointed.

"Dominic" she gasped in disbelief.

"At your service, madam." he grinned, bowing a little at the waist.

Serena was stunned. "But how…?"

"You must have come in not too long after me. I was just ahead of you when I heard a crashing sound and someone scream. I turned back and saw you running from that thing. When it cornered you I saw a crack in one of the wall's joints. I pried it open bigger and pulled you through." he explained.

"Where's Rini?" she asked quickly, glancing around for the little girl. "Didn't you grab her too?"

His brow wrinkled. "Your cousin? I didn't know she was here. I only saw you."

"Oh no" Serena moaned. "She was behind me. I have to go back and find her before that demon or whatever it is does something to her."

Dominic grabbed her hand and began leading her back the way they had come. "Come on. I'll help you look for her."

She sighed in relief as she began running behind him. "Thanks Dominic."

Since he was in front of her, she couldn't see the self satisfied smirk that appeared on his face.

'_This is going better than I thought it would' _Diamond thought as he relished the feel of the soft, slender hand that was resting so trustfully in his own. He figured the droid would be gone by now, taking that pesky little princess with it, so he had no problem with pretending to help her search for the brat.

He laughed inwardly at the thought. _'Yes, I'll help her in this fruitless search. And when we can't find her, she'll turn to me for comfort. Like a good friend, Dominic will be there to hold her and take care of her. I'll have her eating out of my hand in no time.'_

They were near the maze again and Serena began calling. "Rini? Rini, where are you? Can you hear me, Rini? Answer me, please."

All was silent after her voice faded. Serena stood there for several moments, straining her ears to hear every little sound. She was about to call out again, when she heard a scuffling sound and what sounded like a sniffle. Whirling around, she could just make out a huddled shape in the shadows.

Relief flooded through her as she realized who it was. "Oh Rini! Thank goodness! I was so afraid that thing might have hurt you. Are you okay?"

The small head nodded once before Serena found herself nearly bowled over by the almost hysterical girl.

"Shh" she soothed, holding the girl close to her and smoothing a hand over her pink hair. "It's okay. I've got you. Now let's get out of here before something else happens."

She turned to Dominic to find him staring at them in what seemed to be amazement. "Hey Dominic, are you okay?"

A look of what seemed to be anger and annoyance flickered briefly through his eyes before they calmed and he gave her a wide smile. "Well everyone's reunited now, so perhaps we should make our way to the exit."

"Great idea." Serena said as she stood, Rini still in her arms. "I say the sooner we get out of here, the better."

Diamond suppressed the growl of irritation that was threatening to escape him. This was not the way the plan was supposed to go. Once he had Serenity out of the way, the droid was supposed to go after the kid. Sapphire must have made a mistake in his programming.

He was so lost in his thoughts that his senses didn't pick up on the approaching danger. A low growl was all the warning they had. Spinning around, he saw the droid behind them. He heard Serena gasp behind him and was surprised when he felt one of her hands take his.

He looked down into her pleading eyes as she whispered. "Come on, Dominic, run. We have to get out of here."

He gazed at her worried face and decided that this prank had gone on long enough. He needed to get her away so he could take care of the malfunctioning droid. He gave her a gentle smile. "You go on ahead, Serena. I'll stay here and make sure this thing doesn't follow you. I'll be right behind you as soon as you make it out."

She shook her head hard. "No way. I can't leave you here."

Irritation began to shine in his eyes. "Just go. Take the kid and get out of here. I'll be fine."

The mention of Rini made Serena think. Yes, it was best to get Rini out of there. She still felt uneasy about leaving him behind, but nodded her head anyway.

"Good. Now get going." he said, letting go of her hand and giving her a gentle push.

Serena turned and began running. Rini still wrapped securely in her arms. She hadn't taken more than ten steps when that creature called out, "I don't think so goldilocks. I told you that there was no escape from me." Then it lunged for her.

Serena never faltered in her steps. She didn't think she had a chance of outrunning that thing, but she was sure going to try. However, the sound of a muffled grunt, followed by a dull thud and a groan had her stopping to look back.

Dominic lay unconscious on the ground. Apparently, he threw himself into the monster's path to protect her and had been slammed into the wall. He must have hit his head hard because he was out like a light. The droid was nowhere to be seen.

Torn between what to do, she froze. The logical part of her told her to keep running and don't look back. There was another part though that was yelling at her inside her head at the sight of Dominic's still form and the sounds of screams coming from farther back in the funhouse. There were other people in here, and they obviously had seen the unexpected sight of the demon woman.

Being able to see the exit about twenty yards away, she made her decision. She set Rini on her feet and pushed her gently toward it. "Rini, I want you to run, do you hear me? Don't stop, and don't turn around. I need you to get outside and find help as quickly as possible. Find a security guard or someone and tell them what's going on."

Rini stared wide-eyed at her. "But…"

"No buts, young lady." Serena said sternly. "I need you to do this, Rini. There are still people in here with that thing, and they need help. I need to know that I can trust you to do this."

The little shoulders stiffened in resolve before she gave a jerky nod. Then she turned and began running for the exit as fast as her short little legs could carry her.

Serena sighed as she turned back toward where Dominic lay. She gasped however when she saw that he wasn't there anymore. She wondered where the monster went and if it had anything to do with his disappearance. She got upset at the thought of him being hurt because of her.

She still heard a few screams in the distance, and part of her brain was telling her that this was stupid. But another sense, a strong one, led her feet back the way she had just fled. A nervous sweat was beginning to break out over her body and her hands were clenched tight at her sides.

A low laugh came from behind her and she turned just in time to duck as the droid that had just materialized there came rushing at her. Losing her balance, she fell to the floor.

She felt something hard dig into her hip. As she climbed back to her feet, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the broach that she had just landed on. It had fallen out of her drawer this morning when she had pulled a shirt out, and she had absently stuck it in her pocket.

The droid turned back to her with an evil hiss. "Time for you to die."

Things seemed to go in slow motion. The monster lunged, claws extended. A sudden vision filled Serena's head. She saw herself holding the broach and calling out "Moon Prism Power". A feeling of power rushing through her body followed that.

Almost as if her body were acting on its own, she held up the broach and called out "Moon Prism Power".

There was a feeble spark of silver light, and then nothing. Feeling defeated she dropped her arm to her side and waited for the inevitable. This had all happened in less than five seconds. The droid was still coming at her.

'_Well what did you think, Serena?' _she scolded herself. _'Did you think a worthless piece of jewelry was going to give you superpowers or something? Get real!'_

The droid was mere feet from her now. Serena kept her eyes open, refusing to cower down like she would have in the past. If it was her time to go, then it was her time. She just wished that she had been able to see Darien one last time, even if he didn't want to see her.

A sudden flash of red cut into her vision as something flew in between her and the droid. The droid pulled up short while Serena gazed in wonder.

A beautiful, perfectly shaped red rose was embedded in the chest of the droid. For all of its beauty, it still had a deadly look to it. The stem seemed to be as strong as steel, and the thorns looked as sharp as razors. The creature stumbled back and fell to the ground.

Somehow knowing what she would see, she turned slowly to see him. Sure enough, there he was in his elegant tuxedo, long swirling cape, top hat, and mask.

Serena felt her breath catch. She knew who this was. She had done enough research on the stories about the sailor scouts to know that this was their ally, Tuxedo Mask. When he moved farther into view, her head started spinning. He looked just like the man in her dreams and visions. Exactly the same.

That thought brought her crashing back down hard. In her dreams, when he removed his mask, it was Darien underneath. There was no way that quiet, studious, moody, cranky, insufferable, yet lovable Darien was Tuxedo Mask, was there?

She began studying him closely for any clue to debunk her theory. But everything pointed to what she already knew. The way that black hair fell over his forehead. The impossibly deep blue eyes that could be seen behind the mask he wore when he turned his head a certain way. And those lips, she would know them anywhere.

Those lips were moving now. And that voice, the one that she loved so much, but at the same time could cause her so much pain, washed over her. She could hear the sound, but couldn't make out the words he was saying.

Her nerves, already stretched to the breaking point, finally snapped. Not sure how much more she could take, she fell to her knees on the floor.

* * *

Darien paced restlessly as he observed the funhouse. Looking at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time, he saw that Serena and Rini had been in there for ten minutes now. While this was a fairly large attraction, and ten minutes was a normal amount of time to spend going through it, he still couldn't shake the ominous feeling he had.

"Chill Dare." Andrew drawled from his spot nearby where he leaned up against a fence. "They'll be out in a few minutes and then we can go back to stalking them."

Darien only growled as he kept up his surveillance of the exit. He watched desperately for the sight of those two odangoed heads to emerge. He didn't know why, but watching out for Rini was just as important to him as keeping an eye on Serena.

He jumped a little as he felt another shock of fear hit him. He clenched his fists as he fought against the urge to go charging into that funhouse after them. His bond with Serena had weakened since the breakup, making it hard for him to read her emotions as easily as he used to be able to.

He knew the jolts of fear were coming from her, but she was in a funhouse that was full of surprises. And like Andrew had pointed out, Serena had been known for jumping at her own shadow. That had been easily proven at the arcade's Halloween party last year. He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped him as he remembered her shriek when she saw her shadow move out of the corner of her eye and she had thought someone was sneaking up on her.

Figuring he was getting himself worked up over nothing, he tried to calm himself and joined Andrew leaning against the fence. He continued to watch the building with cautious eyes though.

A few minutes later, he and Andrew both gave a start as faint screams were heard coming from the direction of the funhouse. Seconds later this was followed by the strongest wave of fear that he had felt yet. Cursing under his breath, he pushed away from the fence and began running toward the attraction.

"What's going on?" Andrew asked as he ran beside him.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good." Darien answered. "Damn it. I knew I should have checked things out earlier."

As they drew near the building, they both paused at the sight of a little girl with pink odangoes flying through the exit door. She looked terrified and had tears running down her cheeks.

"Rini" Darien called out automatically.

The girl stopped to look around for who had called her name. When she spotted Darien, her eyes widened and she began running to him. Acting on instinct, Darien dropped down to her level and opened his arms as she approached. She barreled into him with the force of a small cannon.

Darien held her close for a moment, letting her burrow into his chest as he kept his eyes glued on the door, waiting for a golden haired girl to come running out as well. As the seconds passed and there was no sign of her, he grew nervous.

Pulling the young girl back a little, he looked into her worried maroon eyes. "Rini, what's going on in there?"

She sucked in a shaky breath before spilling out in a rush. "There's a monster in there. It came after Serena and me. It almost got us, but we got away."

"Where's Serena, Rini?" he asked calmly, trying not to upset her any more than she already was.

More tears began to flow from those round eyes. "She's still in there. She wouldn't leave because there are still other people stuck in there. You've got to help her Darien. She got me to the exit and made me promise to find help."

Darien hugged her close and stood with her in his arms. "You did a good job, Rini." he told her softly before handing her to Andrew. "Keep an eye on her. I'll be right back."

He ran toward the exit door of the funhouse with his mind racing, shaking his head. It was just like Serena to put the safety of others before herself. It wasn't that much of an issue when she was Sailor Moon. But now that she didn't remember any of that, it was borderline insane. That was Serena for you though; her heart was too big for her own good.

Slipping inside, he didn't see anyone in the area. He melded into the shadows and pulled out his transformation rose. He had a feeling that Tuxedo Mask was definitely going to be needed.

He transformed and continued into the building. He latched on to his fading bond with Serena and used it to locate her. Following the weak pull, he moved in the direction of the maze.

He hadn't gotten far when he heard a thump. His was followed a few seconds later by a shuffling sound, like someone climbing to their feet. Knowing instinctively that Serena was on the other side of the wall, he ran to the corner. He was brought up short by the sight in front of him.

A shaken looking Serena was facing off against one of the strangest looking creatures he had seen. It almost looked like a woman, but not quite. It had long spikes on its fingers that clinked together ominously as it glared at the blonde girl.

"Time for you to die." it growled and lunged.

Reacting quickly, Tuxedo Mask manifested one of his roses and threw it as hard as he could at the monster. Everything seemed to slow at that point. The rose was sailing toward its target, its aim steady and true. He saw Serena raise her hand up and he realized that she had her broach clasped tightly in her grip. He heard her call out, "Moon Prism Power". He held his breath and waited to see what would happen.

A faint spark of silver energy was all that was seen before it faded away. Serena's arm dropped to her side. She stood helplessly in the path of the oncoming attack. Then the rose embedded itself in the chest of the droid and it fell.

Serena turned slowly to stare at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief on her face. Her eyes were impossibly wide in her delicate face.

"Serena!" he exclaimed as he stepped toward her. "Serena, are you okay?"

She seemed frozen for a moment, and then she soundlessly dropped to the floor.

He was at her side in an instant, wrapping her tightly in his arms. "Serena, answer me, please."

She continued to stare at him sightlessly for several long, agonizing moments. She raised a trembling hand and placed it on his cheek. "Darien?" she whispered.

He couldn't help grinning a little. She had recognized him. "Yeah" he said softly. "It's me."

She reached up and pulled the mask from his face so that she could see his eyes, and her breath caught. It was just like in her dream. Without the mask, Darien's features were plainly visible.

"I thought it was just a dream." she gasped out brokenly.

He shook his head. "No. It's not a dream."

Every vision, every dream she had experienced for the last few weeks flooded her mind. The dancing, the kissing, the whispered declarations of love, they all bombarded her at once. She saw him in his armor, then in the tuxedo. She was in the white dress, and then that faded to show her in a sailor fuku standing next to him. His voice echoed in her head, _'Sailor Moon'._

It was too much for her to comprehend at the moment. Her overloaded mind shut down. She felt so cold and her body began shaking uncontrollably.

Darien felt her violent shaking and saw the glazed look in her eyes and realized that she was going into shock. A hissing sound had him looking over at the fallen droid. It was disintegrating before his eyes.

He was surprised, to say the least. He didn't think his single rose was enough to destroy whatever that thing was, but at the moment he didn't care. What was important was getting Serena out of there as quick as possible.

The immediate danger seemed to be past, so he let go of his transformation and quickly bundled the shivering girl into his arms. Picking her up, he quickly made his way to the exit, brushing almost rudely past the other patrons that were beginning to make their way out of the funhouse.

Once outside, he could see that the commotion had drawn a crowd. He searched around, looking for Andrew and Rini and finally spotted them a short distance away behind the crowd.

Pushing through the people, he made his way to them. Both Andrew and Rini's eyes widened at the sight of the nearly catatonic Serena in Darien's arms. Both of them began firing questions at him, but he cut them off.

"Let's go." he told them both brusquely, heading for the park gates. He was aware of the stares he was getting, but didn't care. Once they reached his car in the parking lot, he threw the keys to Andrew.

"Here, you drive." he said to his friend.

Andrew was speechless for a moment. Darien never let anyone drive his sharp red sports car. He knew because he had begged on several occasions to have a go. But that sleek machine was Darien's baby, and only he was allowed to drive it. That meant that whatever was going on with Serena was serious.

Gaining control of his wits, he slid into the driver's seat and got Rini situated on the passenger side. Darien had gotten in the back seat with Serena still held tightly to him. He grabbed a jacket that he had back there and wrapped it around her shaking form.

Andrew cleared his throat. "Where to?"

Darien thought for a moment. "I guess my place. I can't take her home like this. Her parents would probably have a stroke."

Andrew frowned. "I don't think they're there. They were supposed to go on a trip with my parents this weekend. Didn't they go, Rini?" he asked the girl.

Rini nodded. "Yeah, they left this morning. They said they wouldn't be back until sometime tomorrow night."

"What about Sammy?" Darien asked.

"He's staying the weekend at a friend's house." Rini said. "Serena and I have the whole place to ourselves. We were going to have a slumber party tonight and order pizza. Then we were going to crash in the living room and watch movies all night. But now…"

The little girl's voice tapered off and her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Serena's semiconscious form. "What's wrong with her, Darien?" she cried.

Disturbed by the sight of her upset face, Darien maneuvered around to touch a hand to her cheek. "Hey," he tried to console her, "everything's going to be okay. Serena's just had a big shock and needs to get home and rest. She'll be fine. I promise."

She seemed to take comfort from his words and drew in a steadying breath. Nodding her head, she turned and sat in her seat.

"Okay everyone, I'll have us to Serena's house before you know it." Andrew said as he turned the key. The engine roared to life and the tires squealed as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.

"Hey, careful." Darien growled. "If you dent my car, I'll dent you. You got it?"

* * *

Diamond came awake with a moan as something cold touched his forehead. Opening his eyes, he saw Emerald leaning over him. She seemed to be upset and had tears in her eyes. Her sadness turned to joy when she saw his eyes open.

"Oh Diamond, you're awake!" she exclaimed. "I was just changing the rag on your head."

He tried to sit up, but the pounding in his head made him fall back with a groan, squeezing his eyes shut. He waited until the pain settled to a bearable level before opening them again and turning a questioning look on Emerald. "What happened?" he ground out.

Emerald shook her head as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm not entirely sure. That droid of Sapphire's went crazy. Instead of going after the girl after Serenity was out of the way, it went on a rampage through the funhouse. It also continued to target Serenity and you were hurt when it tried to attack her."

Diamond remembered now. He had told Serenity to run. The droid had gone after her to attack her. He had been unable to use his powers because that would have caused Serenity to ask too many questions. Questions he knew she wasn't ready for the answers to. But he had still tried to stop the droid from getting to her, and it had tossed him aside easily.

He ran a hand through his hair and winced when he encountered a sizeable bump.

"Careful" Emerald warned him. "You took a pretty hard hit."

"What about Serenity?" Diamond asked. "Did she make it out of there okay?"

Emerald gritted her teeth. She had been so sure that the droid would kill that sniveling little moon princess, but the earth prince had shown up in time to save her. She had seen him carrying her away when she checked the holomonitor.

She tried to hide her frustration. "Yes, she's fine. I checked earlier and saw that she was resting peacefully at home."

Diamond sighed in relief. He wasn't sure what had gone wrong, but he didn't want Serenity hurt. The whole ordeal troubled him. The plan had been perfect. What had gone wrong?

"What made that droid go out of control like that?" he demanded. "I know how meticulous Sapphire is with his work. It's not like one of his creations to malfunction."

Emerald tossed her long green hair over her shoulder. "We don't know what happened. I had decided not to stick around for the show and had come back here. Sapphire showed up a while later with you. He used the computer to make the droid self-destruct. That's all I know. I've been sitting with you every since he brought you back."

She reached for the rag on his head and was surprised when he took her hand gently in his.

"Thank you, Emerald." he said sincerely. "You didn't have to stay with me all this time."

She blushed a little and looked away. "It was no trouble. I just wanted to stay with you and make sure you were all right."

He looked like he was about to say more, but a knock on the door interrupted him. He let go of her hand and she got up from the bed as he called, "Enter".

Sapphire walked in looking very disheveled. A relieved smile appeared on his face though at the sight of his brother awake and alert. "Nice to see you decided to join the land of the living again."

Diamond returned the smile for a moment before turning serious once more. He ignored the pain in his head and sat up. "What happened this afternoon, Sapphire? I know the way you work too well. There is no way that you would have sent a droid out on a mission unless you were absolutely certain that its programming was right."

Sapphire nodded. "You're right, brother. I set that droid up exactly as you asked. Its mission was to target Serenity until you rescued her and then go after the kid if they were separated. The attack setting was set at low to allow for her human abilities. But upon inspection of the data I've retrieved, I made a disturbing find."

Emerald started to withdraw into the shadows, trying to avoid the notice of the two men, who were engrossed by their conversation.

"What did you find?" Diamond asked urgently.

Sapphire sighed. "Someone changed the droid's program. It was told to cause as much destruction as possible. Its primary target was Serenity. Its attack strength was also set at maximum."

"But how can that be?" Diamond questioned. "The only way a droid's program can be overridden is through the main computer. The only people that have access to it is me, you, and…"

He broke off as he read the hidden message in his brother's eyes. "Emerald" he snarled, turning to pin his furious eyes on the woman that was attempting to slip out of the door.

Her eyes widened. "I..I don't know what Sapphire is talking about." she stammered. "He must have made a mistake. I would never go against your wishes, Diamond. You know that."

Diamond threw back his covers and got up from the bed. "Don't lie to me." he growled. "You have never made your jealousy of Serenity a secret. You are the only other person besides Sapphire and myself that would possibly have the access to do it, and I know I sure as hell didn't do it. I'm pretty sure Sapphire is innocent as well. That only leaves you."

Rage bubbled up inside Emerald. Unable to stop herself, the words came spilling out. "Fine. I sabotaged the droid to take out that little bitch. Can't you see, Diamond? She doesn't deserve you. You could do so much better than her."

A cold anger settled over Diamond. He glared at Emerald with cold emotionless eyes. "I think you better remove yourself from my sight, Emerald. Before I act on my impulses and choke the life from you."

Emerald gasped. Never had her prince talked to her like this. He turned and stepped through the nearby door.

"I'll be in the throne room." he told Sapphire.

In a jealous rage, Emerald screamed after him. "That's right you bastard. Go check on your precious Serenity on your holomonitor. I think you'll be shocked to find that she's not even thinking about you. The last time I looked, she seemed to be comfortable curled up in bed with Endymion. I'm sure he made her feel better after her episode today."

Diamond's steps paused and his hands clenched into fists at his side. His whole body was quivering in fury. He finally managed to choke out, "Sapphire, take that jealous bitch to her room and seal her in. I'll deal with her later, after I've had time to calm down."

Sapphire walked toward Emerald with a superior smirk. "It would be my pleasure."

Diamond continued to the throne room. Once there, he wasted no time activating the crystal that would show him Serenity. Once the picture appeared however, he reeled back in shock. Emerald hadn't been lying.

Serenity was lying on her bed in her delicate pink bedroom. Her soft, rounded cheeks were flushed with sleep and her breathing was deep and even. But the most damning part of all was the fact that she was snuggled up close to the figure of the dark haired earth prince. Her head was cushioned on his shoulder and she had an arm draped across his waist.

An anger unlike anything he had ever felt before burned through his veins. He had come too far in his plans to have Serenity only to have her still fall into Endymion's unworthy arms. It was time to take drastic measures.

"Rubeus" he summoned sharply.

The red haired man materialized mere moments later. "You called for me, my prince?"

Diamond narrowed his eyes on him. "Yes. I'm releasing Katzy from her imprisonment. I have a job for you and the sisters. All five of you. I want Tuxedo Mask and the sailor scouts eliminated. I don't care how you do it just take care of it. I want that annoying Rabbit captured and brought before me, but leave Serenity to me. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly, your highness." Rubeus said with a bow. "It will be done as you requested. Is that all?"

Diamond dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "Yes. And do not fail me Rubeus. I will not tolerate any more mistakes."

"As you wish, Prince Diamond." Rubeus declared as he faded from sight.

Diamond glared at the vision in the crystal again. "No more games, Serenity." he growled. "I tried to win you over fairly, but now I have no choice. I will take the lives of those you love. When I am done, you will have no choice but to turn to me. And I'll be there for you."

* * *

Darien stumbled sleepily into the Tsukino's kitchen in search of something to drink. It had been a long afternoon and evening. Serena had succumbed to her exhaustion during the car ride to her house and had fallen into a restless sleep.

When they had arrived at her home, he had carried her immediately to her bedroom and put her to bed. Even in sleep, she seemed troubled though. She had cried and moaned as if plagued by nightmares.

He had tried to wake her several times, but she was too deeply asleep. She seemed to quiet, however, when he held her, so had stayed by her side. When tiredness had caught up with him, he had moved from merely sitting beside her holding her hand to lie next to her. He had gathered her in his arms and had slept for a while as well.

He had been afraid that being so close to her would cause his own nightmares to reappear, but surprisingly his sleep had been restful. His dreams had been full of fun times that he and Serena had experienced together, in both lives.

Grabbing a bottle of water out of the refrigerator, he twisted the cap off and took several refreshing gulps. Seeing the flickering of the light from the television through the door leading into the living room, he decided to check on the other occupants of the house.

He had to bite back his laughter as he took in the scene. Andrew had obviously been quite the babysitter. The coffee table was littered with pizza boxes and bags of junk food. An animated children's movie was playing on the television. Pillows and cushions were thrown haphazardly around the room. And in the middle of all of this chaos, Andrew and Rini were passed out, looking like they had fallen asleep wherever they had dropped.

Darien shook his head at the pair as he turned and quietly made his way back to the stairs. Those two were going to have to do some major straightening up in the morning to keep Serena's mother from having a coronary when she came home.

Anxious to get back to Serena, he swiftly climbed the stairs on soundless feet. If it hadn't been for his thirst, he wouldn't have left her in the first place. Pushing her door open, he panicked for a moment when he saw the bed empty.

"Hello Darien" her voice reached him softly. He looked over to find Serena sitting on the window seat. The glow from the moon illuminated her features, making her seem almost otherworldly. He was glad to see that she looked calm and composed.

"Serena" he greeted her in a voice that belied his nerves. "Are you feeling better now?"

She just stared at him for several long moments. Her eyes were like twin shining crystal pools. Finally she sighed and turned her head to look out the window. "Honestly, no. I have to say that I have never been more confused in my life."

He approached her slowly, not quite sure what to say or do. He settled for an apology. "I'm sorry, Serena."

Her eyes snapped back to his, anger burning in their depths. "That could mean a lot of things. What exactly are you sorry for, Darien? Are you sorry for breaking my heart? Are you sorry for treating me like crap? Or are you sorry for keeping secrets from me? Which one is it?"

He sank down on the foot of her bed. The gaze he turned on her was full of heartbreak and longing. "I'm sorry for everything. I never wanted to hurt you, Serena, but I thought I was doing the best thing for you."

A sarcastic laugh left her. "Oh my god, Darien. That is so cliché. That sounds like something a parent tells a child to keep them from getting hurt. But you were the source of the hurt in this case."

He bowed his head. "I know. I've been a complete jackass. I wish I could turn back time and change things, but the damage has been done. I hope that someday you can forgive me."

His voice sounded rough, and when he lifted his eyes to hers once more there were tears glittering in the sapphire orbs. Serena felt her breath catch in her throat as she realized that he had gone through as much pain as she had.

"What are you saying, Darien?" she asked hesitantly.

He stood suddenly and walked over to her. Dropping to his knees beside her, he took both of her hands firmly in his. "I want you back, Serena. I can't keep going on like this. It's like there is a large gaping hole in my chest where my heart is supposed to be. I know it's too much to ask for you to take me back, but that's what I want."

She felt tears threatening her own eyes, but she fought them back. She felt like she was on the verge of falling apart again. Steeling herself, she refused to give in to her turbulent emotions.

"I can't Darien." she whispered. When she saw the bleak look that entered his eyes she hastened to add, "Not yet. There's something going on with me. I have to find out what it is first. Maybe later we can move past all of this, but I need answers first."

He nodded slowly. "I understand. I don't want there to be any more secrets between us. I think it's time for you to know the truth. I would prefer to wait until later though when your friends are back. They play a big part in this."

Serena looked thoughtful. "The sailor scouts."

Darien's eyes widened. "How did you…?"

She cut him off. "It was simple really. You are Tuxedo Mask. You don't hang out with anybody but Andrew, the girls, and me. I put two and two together. I agree to wait until they come home before we continue this, but I do have a couple of questions I want to ask you now that only you can answer."

"Okay" he said hesitantly.

She took a deep breath. "Why are you in my dreams? Every time I close my eyes I see you. But sometimes what I see is strange, like it's in another time and place. It's almost like watching a movie you've never seen before, but somehow you know what's going to happen."

A reminiscent look crossed his face and a tender smile touched his lips. "I won't tell you the whole story now. I want to wait for the others. But I will tell you that you and I have known each other for far longer than you can imagine."

She seemed satisfied with that answer. That led her to her next question. "Do you truly love me? I want the truth this time."

His eyes bored into her with a sincerity that shook her to her core. "I am deeply and madly in love with you. I know I don't deserve you, especially after everything that has happened, but I am willing to do anything to try to gain your affections again. Even if you can never love me back, I hope we can at least become friends once more. I can't live without you in my life."

She lost the battle against the tears that she had been holding back. They sprang to her eyes. "You are so stupid, Darien. I never stopped loving you. But so much has happened that I feel the need to stay cautious. I want to take things slow, but I know deep down that you are the only one for me."

He felt elation at her words. He still had a chance. She hadn't rejected him completely. If she needed time, he would gladly give it to her. He would prove himself to her. Her wish for a normal life seemed to have been short lived. But he was her protector and would stand by her side.

"I have one more question, then I'll drop it for tonight. I really need to know this so I know that I'm not going crazy." she stated.

He grinned at her. "I know you're confused, but I can promise that you are nowhere near crazy."

She shot him an irritated look. "I'm being serious, Darien. You may change your mind about that when you hear my next question."

He choked back his laughter. "Okay. Let's hear it then."

She pinned him with serious eyes. "Am I Sailor Moon?"

Debating with himself over what to say, he decided to tell her the truth instead of beating around the bush. "Yes" he said softly.

Her face relaxed. "Thank you" she whispered. Then she gave a huge yawn.

Standing, Darien scooped her up in his arms. "You need more sleep. You had a very busy day."

Even though she had told herself that she was going to take things slow and easy, she couldn't help snuggling into his warmth as he carried her to the bed.

He tucked her in and stepped back. "I guess I'll leave you to get some rest."

Half asleep already, she mumbled, "Stay with me, please. I'm afraid the bad dreams will come back."

Unable to resist the invitation, he lay down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She burrowed unconsciously into the embrace, already drifting away. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Goodnight, my princess."

As she slipped off to sleep she sighed, "Endymion".

**A/N **So they're not quite back together yet, but they're on the way…or are they? Diamond's not ready to give up yet. There will be a few more scenes between him and Serena…and maybe a showdown between our two princes perhaps…hmm…maybe. I am making a few modifications to this story as I edit. In the original there was a confrontation between Darien and Diamond later on, but I'm thinking of rewriting it into something a little more …physical. What do you guys think? I kind of like the idea of two hot guys beating the snot out of each other. Also, I was looking ahead to refresh my memory of what I had written since this story is like over two years old, and I forgot that I wrote in a scene where Darien and Serena have a conversation and start calling each other Usako and Mamo-chan, even though I'm using the American names. It doesn't affect the story at all and they will still be called Serena and Darien, but they call each other their nicknames. I honestly don't remember why I did it, and I'm thinking of scrapping it, but I want your opinion before I decide. Let me know. Reviews = Happy Sere-chan!

~Sere~


	9. Revelations

**A/N** Hey everybody! Well you got lucky. I was sure that I wouldn't be able to post anything until this weekend because of exams, but I have studied until the point that I couldn't possibly absorb anything else in to my poor overtaxed brain. (I wish someone would remind me why I decided to be an English Lit. major.) If I'm taking the time out to write, I really should be working on Lunar Princess, but I just don't have it in me right now. So I decided to dust off this chapter for you guys. The response to Chapter 8 was phenomenal, thank you guys sooo much. This story now has over 100 reviews thanks to you. Hug time (bear with me, this could take a while) BIG HUGS TO:

CharmedSerenity3

**ange de l'aube**

**Jacks**

**bakagirl123**

**Lulubelle09**

**xo Usako ox**

**Chichiforever**

**luna345**

**idfcv **

**celestialwitch **

**MoonlightSonata87**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**TatianaRomanov**

**dancingprincess1093**

**JungkO**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**merangelgal **

**S dot Serenity**

**missmyrtlemay **

**midnight blue08**

**Sarah Lynn 86**

Wow! That was a lot. Thank you again for all of your wonderful comments. You keep me inspired. I hope you enjoy this chapter. There's not much action, but I thought it was cute.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 9

Revelations

Serena sat in silence, staring at the people around the table in disbelief. It was Monday afternoon, and she had gathered with her friends, Darien, and Rini at the temple Raye lived at. Once the scouts had been informed of Serena's attack, they had agreed that she needed to be told everything.

Serena was having a hard time comprehending the story she had just heard. She had expected to hear some wild tale, but what her friends had just finished telling her was way beyond crazy. Stories of past lives and living on the moon, a prince and a princess, lost love and reincarnation, it was a lot to take in.

"Serena, are you okay?" Luna asked, taking in her mistress's shell-shocked expression.

Serena turned to look at her feline guardian. She had almost bolted and ran when her cat had suddenly begun talking earlier. When Mina's cat Artemis had joined in the conversation, she had just given up, accepting the fact that she had finally left the normal world and had sunk into insanity.

"Uh, yeah, sure." she muttered. Then she laughed at the absurdity of the outlandish fairy tale her friends had concocted. "So you're telling me I'm a reincarnated princess that used to live on the moon a thousand years ago and that we were all reborn here after we died in an attack?"

Mina nodded her head vigorously. "That's right. Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to send all of us to the future on Earth."

Serena opened her broach to look at the seemingly innocent looking jewel nestled inside of it. "And this is supposed to be the all powerful crystal? It doesn't look like all that much to me. I've seen fake costume jewelry that looks like this. You can pick up stuff like this anywhere for a few dollars."

Luna bristled. "Well I can promise you that it is not some cheap knock off. What you are holding in your hands is one of the most powerful objects in the universe. The Silver Crystal has been passed down through the lunar royal family for generations. When Queen Serenity died, you inherited its power."

Serena shook her head. "None of this makes any sense. I can grasp the fact that I'm Sailor Moon. That's logical since you guys are the scouts. I even looked up an old newspaper article where someone had snapped a picture of Sailor Moon. I could tell that it was me. But to believe that I used to be a moon princess, that's just nuts."

"Whether you choose to believe it or not, it's the truth." Luna informed her primly.

"This is crazy!" Serena exclaimed. "Nobody has ever lived on the moon. It's just a hunk of rock floating around in space. And me a princess, get real, I have to be the most unsuitable person in the world for that. Princesses are smart, beautiful, and graceful. I'm average, clumsy, and I like to pig out. Definitely not princess material."

"None of us are exactly the same as we were in the past." Lita told her.

"That's true." Amy agreed. "We've grown up in a different environment. Since we weren't subjected to the rigors living a life at court, our personalities have been able to expand and be free, giving us the opportunity to be ourselves."

Serena sighed. "Oh Amy, you're supposed to be the rational one. I can't believe that you would buy into this story so easily."

Raye banged a fist down on the table. "It's not a story Meatball Head! The sooner you get that through that thick skull of yours the better. This is serious. We're not making it up."

Anger bubbled up inside Serena and words came tumbling uncontrollably out of her mouth. "Oh, shove it, Pyro! Nothing I ever do is good enough for you. You're always cutting me down. Even that time I saved you from that crazy youma of Jadeite's, you yelled at me saying I was late. Would it have killed you to say thank you?"

The room was so silent after Serena's outburst that you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone's eyes widened and Serena slapped a hand over her mouth. She gazed at each one of her friends with a questioning look.

"Where in the world did that come from?" she whispered.

Amy whipped out her computer and began tapping away. "Raye's words must have triggered something in your mind. Think hard about what you said Serena. Do you remember that incident?"

Serena closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment, a fuzzy image appeared in her head.

She had raced to the scene of a battle with a particularly nasty youma. The beast had incapacitated all of the scouts, except Sailor Mars. Mars had attacked with her fire, only to have it turned back on her. She had been knocked to the ground and the youma was moving in to finish her off.

Serena saw herself as Sailor Moon. She whipped the tiara off of her head and it began glowing. "Moon Tiara Magic" she cried throwing it at the youma. It hit the beast and it exploded into dust.

She rushed to Sailor Mars' side. "Raye, are you okay?"

Mars just glared at her. "About time you showed up, Meatball Head! It took you long enough to get here. What's the excuse this time, sleeping or eating? You are the worst leader. You're going to get us all killed one of these days if you don't get your act together."

Serena opened her eyes. "I remember that night. I had gotten caught trying to sneak out the house after I got the call. It took me ten minutes to convince my parents that I was just trying to call Luna in and that I wasn't trying to sneak out. I had to wait another twenty minutes for them to fall asleep again."

Mina squealed and bounced up and down, clapping her hands. "Yay! Serena's coming back."

Groans were heard around the room in response to the perky blonde's enthusiasm.

Serena couldn't help but laugh. "That's just one memory, Mina. According to all of you, I have a thousand more hiding inside my head somewhere."

Mina refused to be brought down. "Well, it's a start. Where there's one memory, more are sure to follow."

"I can't believe it." Artemis grumbled. "She's actually making sense for once."

Mina conked the white feline on the head. "Can it, fleabag, or no tuna for you tonight."

Artemis yelped a startled meow and scrambled quickly away from his charge. But he wisely kept his mouth shut after that.

Luna cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Okay. So we all agree that we need to do what we can to stimulate Serena's memories, of both lives. Oh stop glaring at me like that Serena. You'll learn for yourself soon enough that we're not making this up. But there is another subject that we need to address."

All eyes turned to the little pink haired girl next to Serena. Serena had been shocked when she had found out that Rini knew everyone's secret identities, including her own, before she even did.

Rini cringed a little. She had known that this was coming. But she still wasn't sure how much she should tell them. Sailor Pluto had been very firm in her instructions. If she told them too much, she could change the future beyond repair.

"Rini, sweetie" Serena began gently. "I know you really don't want to talk about this, but we need to know. You're not really my cousin, are you?"

Rini sat there, clutching that toy cat's head of hers to her in a death grip. Tears formed in her eyes as she slowly shook her head and whispered, "No".

Everyone let out a pent up breath. The girl had refused to answer any questions before, but this one small admittance was a beginning.

"Okay" Serena said on a sigh. She was actually a little disappointed. She had gotten attached to the little rugrat and had hoped that they were really related. Well maybe Rini's parents would allow her to stay in contact with the girl once this mess was straightened out.

"What confuses me is how you tricked Serena's family into thinking that you were related to them." Lita said.

"Yeah" Raye agreed. "It's like they were hypnotized or something."

The girl's arms tightened even more around her toy. "Luna P did it." she whispered.

"What!" the exclamation was heard around the room.

Rini nodded her head. "This may look like it's just a toy, but a friend of my parent's is really smart with computers. She built this for me. It can change into all kinds of things. Another friend of theirs is into a lot of spiritual stuff and she taught me how to hypnotize people. I turned Luna P into an umbrella with a spiral painted on it and hypnotized the Tsukino's."

"Wow" Mina exclaimed. "That's pretty deep coming from such a little kid. So where do you live?"

Rini bit her lip; she wasn't sure how to explain her situation. Sure, they were used to dealing with things that were out of the ordinary. But would they believe her when she told them the truth?

Serena wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Hey, perk up, kiddo. You said that you needed help. So tell us what's going on and maybe we can do something."

Rini took one look into Serena's caring blue eyes and wanted to spill everything. She had so much confusion inside her. She remembered that last day so well. Explosions had shook the ground and people were screaming. She remembered trying desperately to find her parents through the thick smoke. She knew that she would be in trouble for leaving the palace, but she would gladly accept her punishment after this nightmare.

She shook her head. No, she couldn't tell them all of that. They might not be willing to help her if they knew that it was all her fault.

"Maybe I can be of some assistance." a new voice spoke.

Heads spun quickly to see who had intruded on what they had thought to be a private meeting. A tall woman stood there with a bemused smile on her face. She had long moss green hair and warm garnet eyes.

Everyone jumped quickly to their feet. They all took defensive stances in front of Serena, who had shoved Rini behind her.

"Who are you? And how the hell did you get in here?" Raye demanded angrily.

"Puu!" Rini shrieked in delight as she darted out from behind Serena. She ran quickly to the older woman and threw herself into the open arms.

The woman smiled as she held the little girl close. "Small Lady, I am so happy to find you well. You seem to have adapted to life here easily. You also appear to be in very capable hands."

She graced the group with a thankful look. "I am so grateful to you all for looking out for Small Lady. She has recently gone through a traumatic experience and I had hoped that she would be safe here with you."

"Who are you exactly?" Serena asked. She didn't know why, but this woman seemed familiar to her. She was also pretty sure that she was a friend and not an enemy.

"Oh forgive me, your highness." the woman said, letting go of Rini and standing up before bowing. "In my excitement at seeing Small Lady, I forgot that you couldn't possibly remember me even though I have known you for a long time. My civilian name is Trista Meioh, but I am better known as Sailor Pluto."

"Sailor Pluto?" the scouts murmured.

"She is the guardian of time, blessed by the god, Chronos. She usually stands guard at the gates of time. What has brought you here, Pluto?" Luna asked.

Trista laughed. "You always have cut straight to the point, Luna. Let's settle in a little. This could take a while."

Serena watched a little jealously as Rini clung to this mysterious woman's hand. But as they all reclaimed their seats, she was pleasantly surprised when Rini ran back over to her to curl up in her lap.

"I guess I should start at the beginning. I have existed for many centuries. I was appointed as Sailor Pluto by Queen Serenity herself during the Silver Millennium. It is true that I rarely ever leave the time gate, but I have on occasion, and I had the pleasure of meeting all of you several times during your past lives." Trista told them.

"Wait a minute." Serena interjected. "You called me your highness earlier and you're talking about past lives. Are you telling me that what the others told me earlier was the truth? Was I really a princess on the moon?"

Trista gave her a benevolent smile. "Yes, indeed you were. You were well known for your gentle heart as well as your beauty. But you also drove your mother and the rest of the court to distraction with your endless questions and crazy antics. Of course you usually had help in any mischief you got yourself into."

She turned laughing eyes on the other four teenage girls. "Oh, the trouble you five used to get into. Queen Serenity used to wonder if you would ever mature and become the brilliant scouts she always knew you could be. But you grew up, and you became the princess's guardians. The princess settled down as well, and her mother had hoped that marriage would ground her even more."

Serena blushed and snuck a quick peek at Darien. During the story she had been told earlier, they had told her how Darien was the reincarnation of Prince Endymion. He had been betrothed to Princess Serenity and they had been very much in love.

Darien caught her eye and gave her a wink and a smile, making her blush even more. She was pretty sure her face must resemble a tomato right about now.

"Anyhow" Trista continued. "That is all in the past. What I am here to speak of now is the future."

"The future?" Amy wondered aloud.

Trista nodded. "Yes. Usually people shouldn't know anything about the future, but in this case it can't be helped. Small Lady, Rini, comes from a city called Crystal Tokyo in the 30th century."

"Rini's from the future?" Mina and Lita screeched together.

"In the future, the whole earth is united as one. Crystal Tokyo stands right here on the site of modern day Tokyo. It is the capital of the entire planet and is the central hub for politics and most of the world's business and arts as well." Trista explained.

"So why is Rini here?" Serena asked. "What could have happened that would cause the need for a child to travel a thousand years into the past?"

Trista's face sobered. "It was for her own protection. Forces from another planet suddenly attacked Crystal Tokyo a few weeks ago. Rini's parents are an extremely well known and powerful couple. They were targeted in the attack and were both injured. For her safety, I sent Small Lady through time to here where I knew she would be under your protection. She was to find you and enlist your help. Sailor Moon in particular was very important for her to locate. The power of the Silver Crystal is the only thing that can save the future."

Serena's eyes widened in shock. "But I don't know how. I'm just now remembering that I am Sailor Moon. I don't know the first thing about using that crystal, much less how to save the planet."

Instead of looking put out, Trista gave her a mysterious smile. "Maybe you don't yet. But time will tell. Your memories are fighting even now to break free. When that happens, Sailor Moon will return and you will know what you have to do."

"Puu?" Rini asked quietly. "Does this mean that I can't go home yet?"

"I'm afraid so, Small Lady." Trista replied. "Crystal Tokyo is no place for you to be right now and there is nobody to protect you. So you should stay here for the time being. Do you still have your time key?"

Rini nodded and pulled a chain that was around her neck out from under her shirt. At the end of the chain was a tiny gold key that was inlaid with jewels.

Trista beamed a smile at her. "Very good. Remember, that key is your ticket home. When the time is right, it will lead you through the time plane safely."

Trista stood. "I must take my leave now and return to the time gate. I wish you all good luck. The same people that attacked Crystal Tokyo are causing the recent attacks that have been happening here. They are after Small Lady, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting their hands on the Silver Crystal as well. So watch each other's backs, and please, protect Small Lady."

"We will." they all chorused.

Trista paused as she reached the door and turned to look at Serena. "One last word of advice, princess, beware of men with fair hair."

With that cryptic message, she was gone.

"Beware of men with fair hair?" Serena muttered. "What is that supposed to mean? I know a lot of guys with light colored hair. That could mean anyone from Andrew to…" she trailed off.

"I bet she means Dominic." Darien ground out. Anger was evident in his voice and his fists were clenched tightly.

"You don't know that." Serena contradicted. "Like I said, I know a lot of guys with light hair. It could mean anyone."

"He does have a point, Serena." Amy said.

"Yeah" Lita agreed. "That jerk just showed up recently, and he's been crawling all over you every since."

Serena sighed. "Okay, I know he's kind of needy, but…"

"Needy!" Mina screeched. "Controlling is more like it. You turn into a robot when he is around and just go along with whatever he says."

"No I don't." Serena denied, even though she knew her friends were right. "He wanted me to spend the weekend with him and I turned him down."

Darien barked out a harsh laugh. "That's only because I showed up and kicked his ass. He was wearing you down. You would have given in to him if I hadn't interfered."

Serena glared at Darien as he glared right back at her. She knew what she felt for Darien was much deeper than what she felt for Dominic. But she still considered him a friend, despite her uneasiness in his presence, and felt she like she should stick up for him. After all, he had come to her rescue in that funhouse.

She had been worried about him until she had finally gotten in touch with him yesterday. When he had finally answered his phone he had still sounded a little out of it, but had assured her that he was fine. He hadn't been at school today though, and that had worried her a little, but near as much as she thought it would.

"Hey" Mina cried as she came between them. "You two haven't even been back together for two full days yet and you're already fighting? That's not good."

Serena blew her bangs out of her eyes in exasperation. "We're not back together, Mina. We've just progressed to being polite friends. That's all for now."

Mina grinned. "Whatever you say, but I can tell these things. You two are destined to be. Just wait, you two will be an item again before you know it."

Serena shifted in her seat. Rini had fallen asleep in her lap and her legs were growing numb from sitting in one position for so long. "I guess I better wake this kid up so we can get home. Mom will kill us if we're not home in time for dinner."

Darien came over and plucked the sleeping Rini from her arms. The girl stirred for a moment before snuggling into his embrace and continued sleeping.

"I'll walk you home." he told her. "Let her sleep until we get there. She's obviously tired after all the drama we've had this afternoon."

One part of her wanted to tell him to go to hell, but another side craved every moment she spent in his company. The latter side won.

"Fine" she said simply, forcing her numb, tingly legs to stand. She retrieved hers and Rini's book bags. She groaned a little at the weight of hers. She had quite a bit of homework to do, and since they had this meeting instead of the usual study group, she would have to do it all after dinner. It could be a long night.

* * *

"Rubeus, do you have a plan yet?" Diamond demanded.

Rubeus bowed before his prince. "Yes, your highness. Tomorrow the sisters and I will attack the school that the Rabbit has been attending. We hope to capture her and lure the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask there to meet their doom. That should leave Serenity all alone and unprotected."

"Very good. Do not disappoint me, Rubeus. I will not tolerate failure. The consequences for failing this mission will be severe." Diamond responded.

Rubeus felt a shiver go down his spine. Yes, he knew the consequences. If they didn't succeed in destroying the enemy and capturing the Rabbit, they would all be put to death.

"Understood, my prince. Is there anything else?" he asked.

Diamond waved a dismissing hand. "No, that is all. You may leave me."

Rubeus shimmered out of sight as a chuckle floated across the room. Sapphire looked up from where he was seated to meet his brother's gaze.

"Do you really think that they have a chance against the scouts and the earth prince?" he asked. "It sounds like a suicide mission to me."

Diamond shrugged. "One less thing for me to do if they are destroyed by them. They are nothing but dead weight anyway. Either they prove themselves useful or they will be disposed of. It's that simple."

Sapphire frowned. "You didn't use to be so blood thirsty, brother. Why this change? I fear Wiseman is influencing you too much. I thought we had hoped for a peaceful union with earth, but this has turned into a war."

Diamond took a sip of his wine. "You don't understand, Sapphire. Wiseman has opened my eyes. When Neo Queen Serenity and that joke of a husband of hers denied us the right to live on earth, they left us no choice. Who are they to tell us we couldn't live on this planet? Of course I don't blame Serenity. The fault lies completely with Endymion. I could tell by the way the man looked at me from the beginning that he had no intention of granting our request."

Sapphire arched a brow. "Well, that may have had something to do with the way you were ogling his wife. You spent the whole meeting staring at the queen and drooling. You even flirted with her a few times. Of course the man didn't you anywhere near her."

"Only because he's afraid that she might find out what a real man is like." Diamond scoffed. "He's such a bumbling buffoon compared to her. Even in this day and age he doesn't appreciate her. How they ever ended up together is beyond me. But that's okay, I intend to rectify the situation."

Sapphire shook his head. "I still think you're letting Wiseman influence you too much. Something about him just strikes me as unusual. He wouldn't be helping us without expecting something in return. And I'm sure he would demand a pretty high price."

"Nonsense" Diamond replied. "Wiseman and I have an understanding. When all is said and done we will all have what we want. We will rule this planet and I will have a beautiful, capable queen at my side. We will never have to set foot on that miserable Nemesis ever again. Make no mistake, my brother, I am running this show. Wiseman works for me."

"I sure hope you're right, for all of our sakes." Sapphire muttered as he left the throne room.

Now that he was alone, Diamond returned to his favorite pastime. He pulled up an image of Serena. She was sitting at the desk in her bedroom studying.

"Soon" he whispered. "I tried to play nice with you, princess, but you've forced my hand. I will take everything and everyone you love from you. Maybe then you will stop resisting me and see that I am your perfect match. Your future lies with me, and I will be the one who makes you smile."

* * *

Serena groaned as she looked at the clock. It was after 11:00 pm. She was dead tired and her bed looked so inviting. But Miss Haruna would have her head if she didn't complete this English assignment.

Trying to reenergize herself, she stood and stretched. A sudden feeling washed over her and she grinned. Why was she doing this the hard way? There was a simple solution to her dilemma.

She crossed over to her bedroom window. It was cracked as always to allow Luna to be able to come and go, but now she pushed it all the way up and stuck her head out.

"If you're going to stalk me, the least you could do is help me with my homework, Darien." she called out in a loud whisper.

The leaves of the tree rustled a little, and a few seconds later, Tuxedo Mask's head popped through the foliage.

"How did you know I was here?" he whispered back.

She shrugged. "I figured I was being kept under guard since you and my so called best friends threatened me with bodily harm if I left the house alone. Naturally, the tree is the best place to be if you don't want to be caught being a Peeping Tom."

He looked highly offended. "I'm not being a Peeping Tom. I'm just doing my job. How can I keep an eye on you if I can't see you?"

She grinned evilly at him. "Well, I won't hold it against you. You're just lucky that I'm in the habit of changing clothes in the bathroom, or you might have gotten more than you bargained for."

The cheeks under the mask turned a faint pink at the implication. Serena smiled in triumph. It wasn't often that she bested Darien, and she savored every moment of it.

"So like I was saying," she continued, "if you're just going to be hanging out, you could at least help a girl with her English homework. I can't make heads or tails of it."

He smirked her. "Stand back."

She backed away from the window, and a few seconds later Tuxedo Mask had leapt gracefully through her window to land silently on her carpet.

"Smooth move." Serena drawled, trying to hide the fact that she was practically drooling at the sight of him in that tuxedo. It fit him like a glove and emphasized the broadness of his shoulders.

'_Focus Serena' _she silently berated herself. _'Yes, the guy looks good enough to eat, but you're keeping your distance, remember?'_

She gave herself a mental shake. That's right. She had told herself the she was going to take things slow with him this time. She couldn't help but be a little leery after everything he had put her through the last few weeks. But he looked so sinfully handsome standing there, just like in her dreams. Right now though she had an ulterior motive.

"You can drop the Count Dracula look. I don't think any youmas are going to be tearing through the house anytime soon." she teased.

One ebony brow cocked up above the mask. "Count Dracula, huh? Let's test that theory."

He was at her side in an instant and had her in his arms. He dipped her body backwards.

"I vant to suck your blood…" he drawled in a fake Transylvanian accent and dove for her neck.

A muffled squeak left her and she pushed him away quickly. "Stop that, Darien. I'm trying to be serious you goofball."

He chuckled and set her back upright. There was a muted flash of light and then he stood before her in a pair of faded jeans and a worn out t-shirt.

Serena cast a critical eye over him. "Nice look. I thought you were a perfectionist. I don't think I've ever seen you look so …untidy."

He shrugged. "What can I say? At home I'm a different person. I like to be comfortable when I study, and I had quite a bit of homework to do myself before I came over here."

That snapped her mind back to her problem at hand. She picked her English book up off the desk. "Speaking of homework, can you help me with this? I don't get it at all. It might as well be Greek."

They settled on the bed and Darien looked over what she had done so far. He began explaining it to her in a much simpler way than the teacher had. Thirty minutes later she had finally grasped the concept and the assignment was complete. She put all of her stuff back into her book bag before falling back onto her bed with a sigh.

"Thank goodness that's done. Now I can finally get some sleep." she groaned. "It's been a long day."

Darien nodded. "Yes, it has. I guess I should go so you can rest."

"You don't have to go back outside and sit in that tree." she told him. "If you have to guard me you can do it right here."

He was hesitant. "I don't know. What about you family?"

Serena giggled. "My mom and my brother sleep like the dead. Now my dad is usually a very light sleeper, but he's been so stressed out at work lately that he wasn't sleeping well. So his doctor put him on sleeping pills. He takes one every night and thirty minutes later he's out like a light. An explosion could go off right next to any of them and it wouldn't faze them. I just wish my dad had been on those pills when I was Sailor Moon, it would have saved me a lot of grief."

Darien looked at her in surprise. "Are you starting to remember more?"

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "A little. I keep seeing things, but they aren't clear. But I've had several visions of me trying to sneak out and getting caught, or almost getting caught by my dad. That's why I was almost always late for the battles. Everyone else had an easier time getting away than I did."

She let out a big yawn then, and Darien noticed the tired looking circles under her eyes.

"Time for bed." he stated, sweeping her up in his arms and pulling back the covers. He tucked her in gently.

"You'll stay with me, won't you?" she asked. "I don't like to think of you sitting out there all alone."

He brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek. "Yes, I'll stay. By the way, how did you know that I was the one out there? It could have just as easily been one of the girls."

Serena shrugged. "I don't know. I just knew it was you somehow. It was a feeling I got. I don't know how to explain it."

Darien knew what it was. With the few memories she had recalled, she was starting to be able to sense their bond once more. He sat next to her on the bed and braced his back against the wall. Reaching over, he turned the lamp off.

A comfortable silence settled over the room. After several minutes, he figured Serena must be asleep, so he was surprised when she spoke a few minutes later.

"Hey Darien, can I ask you something?" she whispered.

"Yeah" he replied huskily.

"Do you remember our past life?" she asked.

He was taken off guard by the question, but recovered quickly. "Some of it. I definitely don't remember everything. None of us do. Most of what I do remember is my memories of you."

She sat up to face him. "We were engaged to be married, so we must have loved each other very much."

His eyes met hers. "We did. I would have done anything for you. I would have walked away from my kingdom without a second glance if it meant I could be with you."

Her eyes lowered so that her lashes hid them from him. "Is that why you say that you love me now, because of who I used to be?"

He placed his fingers under her chin, forcing her eyes back up to his. "Listen to me. I fell in love with you long before we found out any of this. I love you for who you are, Serena Tsukino. Don't ever doubt that."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. He held her close and buried his face into her soft hair.

She pulled back a little to look up at him. "Can I ask you one more thing?"

"It's late, Serena. You should really get to sleep." he told her.

"Just one more thing, please." she said with pleading eyes.

He relented. "Okay, one more question and then you're going to sleep."

She grinned in satisfaction before turning serious once more. "How did we die?"

That simple question shocked Darien to his core. "We're not discussing that right now, Serena. It's not a very good bedtime story."

"Please, just tell me, Darien." she begged. "I think I already know, but I want to hear it."

He squirmed uneasily. "Well, I was on the moon visiting you. Your mother had thrown a huge ball to announce our engagement."

"The dance." Serena whispered with a dazed look on her face. "I remember we danced together. I wore a white dress and you had on your tuxedo. I thought it was just a dream, but it was really a memory."

Darien nodded. "Yes, we danced. Then during the party there was an attack by Beryl and her forces I changed into my armor and joined the fight. Beryl managed to force her way into the palace, so I hurried back to find you. When I did, that witch had you cornered. She attacked you with a sword, so I did the only thing I had time to do. I threw myself in between you and took the blade that was meant for you. My last memory of that time is your face as you cried for me."

"I remember." Serena whispered brokenly. "After you died I couldn't go on. I picked up your sword and stabbed myself through the heart. I didn't want to live a life without you." Her tears began to spill down her cheeks.

He reached out to brush the wetness away and their eyes met. Unable to resist the temptation, he lowered his lips to hers in a sweet, but very poignant kiss. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to steal both of their breath and make them giddy. Serena giggled a little as they parted.

"What's so funny?" Darien demanded. "Is my kissing that bad?"

Serena laughed even harder. "Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with the way you kiss. I'm just laughing at myself because I shouldn't be kissing you at all. I preach and lecture myself about keeping my distance and taking it slow, and the moment I get near you I get sucked in and forget all about it."

He chuckled warmly. "Is that such a bad thing?"

Shot him an exasperated look as she pulled away from him. "I'm being serious, Darien. You say you love me, and I know that I love you. But it's not easy for me to forget the hell you put me through. And to find out that you did it because of some dreams and visions makes it hard for me to completely trust you. I know you couldn't talk to me at the time because I was clueless, but you could have gone to Raye. She would have been able to help. But instead you decided to make a decision on your own that affected both of us."

Darien had sobered up quickly when he heard the amount of pain in her voice. "Serena, I'm sorry. All I can say is I panicked. I kept seeing you die, over and over again. Every time I fell asleep, I saw it. I brushed it off for a while. But when I started having visions when I was awake, I lost it. I couldn't bear it if you died because of me, so I decided to remove myself from the equation."

Serena sniffled and shook her head. "You crazy, wonderful man. Don't you know by now that we are stronger together than we could ever be apart? Without you, I'm only half a person. But this time I want to be sure. Maybe once I get all of my memories back I'll be ready to move on."

Darien pulled her close to his side and put his arms around her. "Then we'll do everything we can to get them back. In the meantime, we will go as slow as you want. I sure don't want to lose you again. Now it's late and you need to sleep. No more talking tonight."

She sighed and snuggled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Maybe I can sleep now that I know the truth. Maybe the bad dreams will stay away."

He kissed the top of her head. "Hopefully they will for both of us."

* * *

The moonlight illuminated the figure that was jumping from rooftop to rooftop across the Juban district just enough to highlight her long blonde hair and her orange skirt. Sailor Venus landed silently on top of the house that was right next to her intended target.

She giggled to herself, wondering if it would be possible to get the drop on Tuxedo Mask. It would be amusing to see how the usually stuffy earth prince handled having the bejeebers scared out of him.

She gave up the idea just as quickly. That man had the senses of a predator. He always seemed to be able to pick up on any change in the environment around him. No doubt he probably already knew she was there, even though she hadn't made a single sound.

A sudden presence beside her had her spinning around to confront it. She automatically went into a defensive position until she saw who it was.

"What are you doing here, Jupiter?" she hissed.

Sailor Jupiter shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. So I thought I would come hang out with you for a while and we could keep each other company."

Venus looked a little cross. "If I had known you were going to have an attack of insomnia, I would have assigned you to be the second watch tonight. Then I could have stayed at home in my comfy bed."

Jupiter grinned. "Oh, come on. It'll be fun. We can sit up and talk guys. Now let's go relieve princey poo so we can get down to business."

Together they leapt over to the roof of Serena's house. They gazed down into the branches of the tree, looking for the familiar masked hero. They were both surprised to not see a single sign of him.

"Where the hell is he?" Venus grumbled. She was totally not in the mood to deal with anything right now.

"He's got to be around here somewhere." Jupiter soothed her. "He would never leave Serena unprotected."

Something white caught Venus's eye. Upon closer inspection she saw that it was the end of one of Serena's curtains hanging out of her open window, fluttering in the breeze.

"That's strange." she muttered. "Serena doesn't normally leave her window all the way open like that. Usually it's just cracked."

"You're right." Jupiter agreed. "You don't think something has happened, do you?"

Venus shook her head. "I don't know. I say we check it out. We may be overreacting for nothing."

They dropped down through the branches until they were even with Serena's window, staying alert for any strange activity. They peered inside, but couldn't see anything.

"It's too dark. I can't see a thing." Jupiter growled.

"Then we'll just have to go in and see for ourselves." Venus said. She stepped along the branch and then jumped smoothly through Serena's bedroom window. Jupiter was right behind her.

Even though their entrance had been silent. A dark figure on the bed jerked upright almost as soon as their feet touched the carpet. A low hissing sound was all the warning the scouts had, and they ducked in time to avoid the two red roses that sailed over their heads.

"Have you lost your mind, Darien?" Venus ground out in a loud, furious whisper. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"No doubt." Jupiter grumbled next to her. "I'm not a big fan of acupuncture, thank you."

"Sorry" Darien said with a yawn. "I must have dozed off. You two took me by surprise."

"Having fun are we?" Jupiter asked with a wide grin. Now that her eyes were becoming acclimated to the darkness, she could see the cozy scene on the bed.

Venus wore an identical grin. "Well, well, Darien. I never thought that you would be the type to be in bed with two girls at the same time."

"Huh?" he muttered, looking next to him. When he saw the small pink haired girl between him and Serena he smiled. Now he remembered. Not too long after Serena had finally fallen asleep, Rini had crept into the room. She had seemed to be in a daze, like she was sleepwalking. She hadn't acknowledged Darien's presence at all. She just climbed right up on the bed and burrowed her way in between them.

He also remembered watching the tenderness of that moment. The way Serena had unconsciously scooted over to make room for the girl and the way she had also taken the girl into her arms had been touching. Rini had nestled into the warm nest between the two teenagers, and with a murmured, "Mommy, Daddy", she had fallen to sleep.

For Rini's sake, he hoped everything worked out in her time. It sounded like her parents were in serious trouble. Having lost his own parents at an early age, he knew firsthand what it was like to grow up without that parental love and guidance. He would never wish that loneliness on anybody.

A hand waved in front of his face, breaking into his thoughts and bringing his thoughts back to the present. He blinked several times. "Huh? What?"

Venus giggled. "So you are still in there. Jupiter swore that you had gone catatonic. You sat there and didn't move a muscle for almost three minutes straight. I don't even think you blinked. Did you see him blink, Jupiter?"

Jupiter leaned up against the wall. "Nope. He was pretty out of it. Why don't you go home and get some sleep, Darien. It's after 3:00 am. We'll hold the fort until morning."

Darien was reluctant to leave, a fact that wasn't lost on the two girls. Venus stepped up and patted him on the shoulder.

"Just go, Darien." she said softly. "Everything will be fine. We'll keep an eye on them. But if Mr. Tsukino catches you in here you're a dead man."

The thought of Serena's enraged father was more than enough motivation for him to get moving. He slid slowly from the bed to keep from disturbing the other occupants. With a goodnight nod to Venus and Jupiter, he pulled out his transformation rose and transformed into Tuxedo Mask. With one last longing look at the bed, he jumped out the window.

The two scouts giggled quietly together as they also slipped out of the window to the tree, pulling the window almost closed behind them like it normally was. As they found spots to sit and settled in, they could both see the distant figure of Tuxedo Mask as he traveled the rooftops toward his apartment.

Lita chuckled. "That boy has got it bad. I just hope that this time around he appreciates Serena more. She didn't deserve what he did to her. If she hadn't begged me not to, I would have beaten him into next week."

"Oh, my ass kicking friend," Venus sighed dramatically, "have I taught you nothing? There are always ups and downs in the game of love. Serena and Darien are fated to be, but that doesn't guarantee that the relationship is perfect. They'll have trials like anyone else."

"Wow, I'm impressed." Jupiter said. "I agree with what Artemis said earlier. You're actually making sense today. Someone must have taken her smart pills."

Venus nudged Jupiter with her foot. "Shut it, you Jolly Green Giant! Just because I'm not very good at math, English, science, or…what else…oh yeah, or history, doesn't mean I'm a complete loser. The subject of love happens to be my specialty."

Lita rolled her eyes. If she had to listen to another lecture from the self-proclaimed goddess of love, she was going to hurl. She desperately searched for a way to change the subject.

"Uh, so." she stammered. "Have you seen that new transfer student from America? He's a total hottie."

Venus let out a muted squeal. "I know the guy you're talking about. He's a major dream. I don't think he's been here very long, so I doubt he has a girlfriend. Maybe we should make a play for him, or are you still mooning over that friend of yours that you claim to like in only a platonic way?"

Jupiter blushed a little. "Ken's only my friend. We go out occasionally, but only as friends. I could go for that new guy. He reminds me of my old boyfriend."

"All guys remind you of your old boyfriend." Venus moaned. "I hear you say that about every guy you see."

"Well, what about you?" Jupiter asked, trying to turn the attention away from herself. "Are you going to make a move on this guy? I thought you were chasing after Andrew since he and Rita are no longer together."

"W…well" Venus stammered. "I was, but I thought it might seem a little weird if we hooked up. He's like a part of the group. I thought everyone would think it was strange if we started going out."

"Don't be dense, girl." Jupiter scolded her. "Andrew's a great guy, and you two look good together. If you like him that much, I say go for it."

The talk of boys lasted for quite a few hours. When the sun was just beginning to appear on the horizon, they left their post to go home and get ready to face the day."

**A/N** So that's it for now. The good news is that once I started editing, I couldn't stop myself. I've already got Chapter 10 about halfway done, so I hope to post it soon. Lots of stuff happening in the next chapter. But I won't say anymore right now. Keep me going and tell me how I'm doing. Remember, Reviews = Happy Sere-chan! I'll catch everybody later, Happy Holidays!

~Sere~


	10. Showdown

A/N

Hey guys, it's time for another chapter. I'm going to apologize in advance that there isn't much Diamond action in this chapter. But after this we are going to see him more, I promise. Okay, lots happening in this chapter, so I'm not going to waste time. Let me just throw out my hugs real quick. BIG HUGS TO:

**Jacks**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**snoopykid **

**ange de l'aube**

**luna345**

**SelenityHyperion**

**xo Usako ox**

**idfcv **

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**MissMyrtlemay**

**TatianaRomanov**

**JungkO**

**midnight blue08**

**WindRider0520**

**dancingprincess1093**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**chimichurri **

Thank you guys, as always. I'm going to shut up now.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 10

Showdown

Serena leaned her head against her hand and sighed. She hated English class. It always seemed to drag on forever and made her feel dull and sluggish. Thank goodness lunch was next. That always perked her back up so she could get through the rest of her classes.

Today's class really wasn't that bad. Miss Huruna had been shocked speechless when Serena had actually turned in her homework on time. She had been further stunned to find that it was done correctly as well and had refrained from her normal routine of singling Serena out to ridicule her in front of the class.

"Miss Haruna" a voice suddenly came over the intercom. "A package has been delivered for you in the main office."

"Thank you" Miss Haruna replied. "I will send someone down to get it."

She scanned the class, trying to decide who to send on this mission. Her eyes landed on the blonde girl near the window. Perfect.

"Miss Tsukino, would you run down to the office for me?" she asked.

"Sure thing Miss H." Serena agreed happily, thankful to have an excuse to escape the confining classroom for a few minutes. She was out of her seat and through the door before most of the people in the room could comprehend what was going on.

Once she was in the hall, she slowed down. There wasn't that much longer until class was over. If she milked this for as long as she could, there would only be a few minutes left in the period when she returned to the classroom. Then she could go have lunch.

She smiled at that thought, not only because eating was one of her favorite things, but also because lunch promised to be fun. It was a beautiful day outside. And now that she and Darien were back on speaking terms, he and Andrew would join the group like they used to.

She stepped lightly as she walked down the hall. Even though it had been a late night, she had slept peacefully and had woken up refreshed. Darien had been gone by then, of course, but the sight of Rini curled up next to her had started her day off on a bright note.

She had woken the little girl up and had helped her get ready for school. After breakfast, Mina had showed up as always, and she had left the house. She felt a little anxious about leaving Rini unprotected, but since none of the scouts could trail after her without causing suspicion, Luna and Artemis had promised to lurk around the primary school and call at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary.

She also felt a little guilty. Dominic had not shown up to school again today. She was worried that he might have been injured worse than he had let on when she had talked to him, but another side was oddly grateful that she didn't have to deal with him.

A sudden vibration from her pocket made her pause. She pulled out the small calculator size communicator. She had remembered her communicator early this morning and had searched for it. When she had been unable to find it, she grabbed the spare one that Luna kept stashed under the bed. She knew the cat hardly ever used it and probably wouldn't miss it for a while, and she wanted to stay in the loop.

Pressing a button on it, a text message popped up. Whenever paging the scouts during school hours, this was how Luna did it. She couldn't risk a voice message and having other people hear and blowing their cover. This way, the scouts could read the message and find a way to slip out of class.

Serena read the message and felt her blood turn as cold as ice.

_There is an attack at Juban Primary. Get here as quick as you can. Don't tell Serena._

Serena was running for the school entrance almost before she even read the message all the way through. Rage was roiling through her, not only because Rini was in danger, but also because of the fact that the others would try to conceal something like this from her.

'_Sailor Moon may be out of commission right now, but I'm still here.' _she thought angrily. _'I promised to protect Rini just like they did. I have a right to be there too.'_

She hit the doors at a dead run and was across the schoolyard and through the gate in the blink of an eye. The primary school wasn't that far away. She should be there in just a few minutes.

As she drew near the school she heard loud banging and what sounded like evil, maniacal laughter along with the cries of terrified children. She didn't stop to think as she barreled through the doors with one purpose in mind. She had to find Rini.

She hadn't traveled more than twenty feet from the door when a loud explosion went off and the whole building shook, knocking her off her feet. She fell to the floor and covered her head with her arms as tiles from the ceiling and other debris rained down around her.

Once things seemed to settle, she got back to her feet to begin searching. Luckily, she had gone to school here for most of her life and knew the layout well. She knew exactly where Rini's classroom was. She hoped and prayed the she was in that room safe and sound. She didn't think she could handle it if something happened to the girl.

At the same moment Serena received the message, five other communicators vibrated in pockets throughout Azabu High School. The five teenagers quickly read the message and then claimed to their teachers that they felt sick and needed to visit the nurse. One look at their student's stricken expressions made the teachers believe them.

Mina slipped out of her biology class. Raye left history. Lita got out of Home Economics. Amy quickly left her calculus class, and Darien flew out of the chemistry lab. The five of them reached the gate at the same time. Without pausing, they all left the school grounds.

"Serena doesn't know about this, does she?" Darien asked the others as they ran.

Raye shook her head. "There's no way she possibly could. She has English this period and none of us have that class with her."

"She'll find out soon enough if we don't show up for lunch." Amy replied.

"She's going to be madder than hell when she finds out." Lita told them. "Not to mention how upset she'll be that Rini's in danger."

Mina nodded enthusiastically. "You've got that right. She's worse than a mother bear protecting her cub when it comes to that kid."

They saw a dark, deserted alley and ducked in to transform quickly. Then the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask were able to travel over the roofs the last couple of blocks to the school.

The sounds of destruction reached their ears before the school building even came into sight. The sound of groaning metal and splintering wood, along with the small explosions that could be heard made it sound like the whole building was coming apart. The insane laughter of what sounded like several people could have been taken straight from a horror movie.

The heroes landed on top of the office building next to the school and took a minute to survey the damage and get a feel for things before venturing into the school itself. For all the noise, the building looked to be pretty solid.

They were about to drop down into the schoolyard when suddenly Tuxedo Mask groaned, "Oh man, I don't believe it. What the hell is she doing here?"

"What? Who?" all of the scouts asked together. They all looked in the direction he was pointing and saw what appeared to be the tail end of two long streamers of golden blonde hair entering the school through the front entrance.

They all moaned. Serena was supposed to be blissfully unaware and safe back at the high school. How did she know to come here? And what had possessed her to come alone when she couldn't transform?

"That crazy Meatball Head. I swear I'm going to lock her up somewhere for her own protection." Tuxedo Mask growled as he leapt to the ground, the scouts right behind him.

They were racing toward the building when suddenly there was a loud explosion that rocked the building to its very foundation. The windows of a second floor classroom shattered as bright purple flames mixed with a crackling, black, electric energy slammed into them and then erupted out into the air.

* * *

Serena fell to her knees as she hugged the little girl tightly. After she had fought her way through the swarm of panicked children only to find Rini's classroom empty, she had thought that finding the girl might be impossible. But an almost inaudible whimper had led her to look under the teacher's desk where she had found Rini curled up in a ball.

"Oh Rini, I'm so glad you're okay." she exclaimed in relief.

Rini burrowed herself into Serena's chest. "I knew if I just stayed put you would come for me."

Serena let go of her and stood. Taking Rini's hand, she headed for the door. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

She cracked the door open just a little and peeked out into the hall. She almost gasped aloud as she saw two tall women at the other end of the hallway. One had dark hair that had a strange green cast to it; the other was the same purple haired woman that had tried to grab Rini that day at the temple.

"Anybody in there, Prizma?" the purple haired one asked as the green haired one opened a door to look in to a classroom.

"No, Katzy. How about on your side?" Prizma responded.

"Nobody over here either." Katzy said as she closed the door she had opened. "I think most of the people have left the building now. The Rabbit probably snuck out with them. I knew this was a bad idea."

Prizma clucked her tongue. "Don't let Master Rubeus hear you say that. This was his idea. The main point is to lure in the sailor scouts and Tuxedo Mask. We'll be able to grab the Rabbit at any time once we get rid of those idiots."

"True" Katzy agreed. "With those goody two shoes out of the way, nothing else can stop us. Crystal Tokyo will be ours."

Prizma opened another door to look in before closing it with an irritated sigh. "It's useless to check the rooms on this floor. Everyone's gone. Let's go see if Avery or Bertie had any luck."

Serena sighed in relief as the two women turned away. She had been afraid that she and Rini were going to be discovered. Even if they had hidden, something may have given away their presence if either one of those women had looked in.

Serena closed the door again and began looking around, trying to decide her next move.

"What are we going to do, Serena?" Rini sniffled as she clung to her hand.

Serena gave her a bright smile, not wanting to frighten her anymore than she already was. "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

Her eyes landed on the wall with the windows. The windows were small and kind of high up off the ground, but if she was able to get one open she should be able to climb up onto the windowsill and then pull Rini up after her. That sounded like a much better option than trying to make it through the halls. There was no place to hide in the hallways, and from the conversation she had overheard, it was safe to assume that there were at least four of those freaky ladies around.

Serena pulled a chair over to the closest window and stood on it. She pushed and pulled on it, but the stubborn thing refused to budge.

"Come on, you stupid…" she gave it all she had and managed to slide it open about two inches before it stuck again.

"Damn it." she muttered as she panted for breath. Her arm muscles were screaming from the exertion.

"Serena" Rini piped up. "Why don't you try transforming into Sailor Moon?"

Serena jumped down from the chair, her hand covering the broach that was pinned to the bow on her shirt. "I tried the other day, Rini. It didn't work."

"That's because you didn't believe." Rini told her. "Now that you know that you're Sailor Moon, it may work if you believe in yourself."

Serena shrugged, pulling the broach from the bow. "I guess it's worth a shot. I could definitely use a boost of scout power right now."

'_Come on, Serena. You can do this.' _she told herself.

She held the broach up and called, "Moon Prism Power."

At first she thought nothing was going to happen, then power suddenly burst forth. Pink ribbons wrapped around her body to form a blue-skirted fuku with red bows on the front of the white body suit and in the back at her waist. She was also adorned with knee high red boots and elbow length white gloves trimmed in red. A choker with a crescent moon on it and a tiara with a red jewel in it completed the look.

Serena looked down at herself in shock. This felt so strange, and yet so right. She felt the power coursing through her body and figured that she could probably just punch a giant hole in the wall if she wanted to. But she didn't want to draw attention to them, so it was best to stick with a quiet escape by window.

Rini hopped up and down in excitement. "I told you that you could do it. I can't believe I'm actually seeing Sailor Moon in person."

Sailor Moon smiled at her. "We'll celebrate later. Right now let's get out of here. What do you say, kiddo?"

Rini nodded in agreement as Sailor Moon jumped back onto the chair. With one simple push, the window slid open all the way.

"Much better." Sailor Moon said in satisfaction. "Are you ready to go up and out, Rini?"

Suddenly the door opened. Sailor Moon leapt from the chair to take a defensive position in front of Rini. Her hand automatically lifted to her tiara, ready to fling it at whoever it was if they proved to be an enemy. However, she froze when she saw who entered the room.

"Tuxedo Mask" she gasped in astonishment.

Sure enough, it was her tuxedo-clad protector that walked in and closed the door behind him. He surveyed her with a look of astonishment that far surpassed her own.

"Serena…Sailor Moon…now I know what that feeling was that I got a minute ago. But how?" he stammered.

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I'm not sure, and at the moment I don't care. I'm trying to get Rini out of here. There's some weird women going around looking for her so I thought it would be better to go out a window instead of going through the halls."

Tuxedo Mask nodded. "Good idea. Those women you're talking about must be those four freaks the scouts and I ran into not too long after we came in. The girls held them back so I could come find you and Rini. Now let's get out of here."

He hopped up onto the windowsill and slid the bottom half of his body through the window, keeping the upper half inside. He held his hands out. "Pass Rini up to me."

She picked up the little girl and held her up so that Tuxedo Mask could take her by the hands and pull her with him through the window. Once they had disappeared, Sailor Moon jumped up and slid through the opening as well.

She landed in Tuxedo Mask's waiting arms. He grinned down at her. "Welcome back, Moonie."

She let out a shaky laugh. "I'm not back. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. I couldn't get that stupid window open so Rini convinced me to try transforming. I was shocked that it actually worked."

He sat her on her feet. "Well, we'll wonder about that later. For now, we need to move."

They followed the wall along the back of the building. When they reached the corner, they peeked cautiously around it and were almost blinded by a bright flash of flames. Red and purple collided in a brilliant, fiery lightshow.

"Thanks a lot, Mars. Now I'm seeing spots." Sailor Moon muttered under her breath.

There were more flashes of light and the other scouts could be heard calling their attacks as well.

"Looks like the fight has been moved outside." Tuxedo Mask grumbled. "That means we can't leave through the gate. We'll have to find another way."

"Can't we just jump over the wall?" Sailor Moon asked.

Tuxedo Mask looked thoughtful. "We could, but the enemy may see us before we get there. I think it would be best to go that way."

He pointed to the construction site that was behind the school where a new office building was being built. It was strangely deserted for this time of day. It also looked like their best avenue for escape.

"All right. Let's go that way then." Sailor Moon agreed.

Tuxedo Mask scooped Rini up into his arms and the three of them made their way quickly across the space to where a fence surrounded the building site. There was a hole in the fence, so they ducked through instead of having to go over it.

Once inside, they found themselves in a maze of steel beams and large pieces of equipment. Weaving through it quickly, they made their way toward the other side where they would be able to exit to a street.

They had just reached the middle when a low laugh sounded above them. They looked up in shock as a man seemed to materialize out of thin air. He had unnaturally bright red hair and an inverted black crescent moon on his forehead. He hovered above them while sneering down at them.

"Well, well," he drawled, "I had a feeling you three were around here somewhere. How nice to find you together. That makes my job much easier."

"And just who that hell are you?" Tuxedo Mask demanded.

The man gave an evil grin. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that we were going to acknowledge all of the little niceties. But I guess it's only fair to introduce myself since I already know who you are. My name is Rubeus and I come from the dark moon of Nemesis."

"I remember you." Rini spoke up angrily. "You were with those other two men that came to Crystal Tokyo and got my mommy and daddy mad. They said you were bad people."

Rubeus wore an expression of mock hurt on his face. "Tsk, Tsk, Little Rabbit. I know all children want to believe that their parents are right, but your parents are nothing but blind, greedy fools who think that they can have everything and refuse to share."

Rini was red faced and her eyes burned furiously. "That's not true. My parents are good people and everybody loves them."

Rubeus waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter anyway. We've already dealt with them. Once we tie up a few loose ends, everything they once had will belong to my family. Now, let's make this easy. Come along with me Rabbit. It's time to face your destiny."

Sailor Moon felt her temper snap. She snatched the tiara off her head and felt a rush of power as it began glowing and spinning, hovering over her open palm. "I don't think so, buster. If you want her, you'll have to go through me first. Moon Tiara Magic."

She flung the disc at him with everything she had. It arced through the air, sailing straight for its intended target. All of a sudden, it stopped. The glow vanished and it fell uselessly to the ground.

Rubeus laughed. "Is that all you've got? I expected more from the great Sailor Moon. The stories of you in the future are legendary, but it seems they must only be myths. You're nothing but a little girl trying to play at being a hero."

"No" Sailor Moon whispered. "My tiara. Why didn't it work?"

Two shapes shimmered to life on each side of Rubeus as the two women Serena had seen earlier along with two other women appeared next to him. One of the newcomers had icy looking white hair with a light blue tint to it while the other had hair that was a very ruddy shade of auburn. All of the women had the same crescents marking their brows.

'No fair, Rubeus." the one named Katzy whined. "We want to be present for the moment of triumph too. Isn't that right, Bertie?"

The icy one nodded her head. "Absolutely. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Don't you agree, Avery?"

The auburn haired one smirked. "I suppose so. I just want to get this over with so we can go back to our own time. The past stinks. What do you think, Prizma?"

Prizma wore a superior look on her face. "I don't care as long as it gets done. I'm tired of all of this."

"Did you dispose of those pesky scouts as instructed?" Rubeus asked them.

Sailor Moon felt her heart sink. Her friends couldn't possibly be dead.

"Almost" Katzy said in a bored voice. "We beat them down pretty good, but we decided to move the party here and take care of all of them at once."

At that moment there was the sound of several pairs of running feet. The scouts appeared a moment later. They were a little rumpled and disheveled, but appeared to be unharmed. They all paused for a moment at the sight of Sailor Moon and questions burned in their eyes, but those questions would have to wait for later.

The scouts closed rank in front of Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Rini. Mars glanced over her shoulder at them and gasped.

"Sailor Moon, where's your tiara?" she asked quickly.

Sailor Moon pointed to where the abandoned tiara lay on the ground. "It wouldn't work. I don't know what happened. It was doing fine, and then it suddenly stopped."

"This has been nice and all," Rubeus drawled, "but now it's time to finish this."

Tuxedo Mask handed Rini to Sailor Moon. "Serena" he whispered. "Take Rini and go find a safe spot to hide. Promise me that you'll stay hidden and out of the way."

Her startled eyes met his behind the mask. "But Darien…"

He laid two fingers against her lips. "No buts Serena. Let us handle this. It's important to keep Rini safe. I need you to do that."

Sailor Moon nodded her head. They had sworn to Sailor Pluto that they would protect Rini. It was really all she could do since it seemed she was pretty useless in a fight right now.

With a last smile to him and the rest of her friends, she ran with the little girl a decent distance away where they crouched down behind a stack of steel beams. They got there not a moment too soon. Attacks began flying as the two groups that were facing off began the showdown.

Powers clashed and collided, resulting in resounding booms that echoed like thunder and shook the ground.

Sailor Moon dared to peep over the top of her hiding place a few times to see what was going on. She saw each of the scouts paired off with one of the women, while Tuxedo Mask was locked in a battle with Rubeus.

The battle seemed to be in a deadlock, neither side was giving an inch. Sailor Moon gave a startled yelp when she saw Rubeus prepare to send an energy blast at Tuxedo Mask. The masked hero saw it, however, and sent a rose sailing through the air.

It struck Rubeus in the arm, causing his hand to sling back. His attack released, but instead of its original target, it was now headed toward Sailor Moon and Rini's hiding spot.

Sailor Moon only had time to gather the little girl close to her before the attack hit the ground nearby and exploded. The resulting blast sent the two girls flying through the air. Sailor Moon saw that they were headed for a brick wall and twisted her body so that she would absorb the impact.

Her back slammed into the wall and her head snapped back with a crack. Pain raced across every nerve ending in her body. If she hadn't been in her scout form, it probably would have killed her. But even so, she fell limply to the ground.

"Sailor Moon? Sailor Moon, can you hear me?" she heard Rini's panicked voice cry out. Thankful that the little girl sounded okay, she tried to focus on the little face, but her vision was blurry and was beginning to fade. Instead of fading to black, though, everything turned white.

She suddenly felt like she was floating through the whiteness. The pain disappeared, much to her relief. She wondered briefly if she was dead and this was what heaven looked like.

The cloudlike whiteness began to fade. Serena felt her feet touch down, and she looked around her in amazement as her surroundings became clear. She was standing on a wide stone balcony. Everything gleamed pearly white. Looking down at herself, she saw that she was dressed in a flowing gown of the finest white silk. She glanced up and gasped when she saw the Earth floating in the sky. What was going on?

"Great" she muttered. "You would think that being dead would cure me of my insanity, but it's only made it worse. Now I'm hallucinating, too. Oh no! What if I didn't go to heaven? I knew I should have behaved better. I could have been a better daughter and sister. Now I'll have to pay for it for all eternity."

She heard a light laugh that sounded like the tinkling of bells and then a soft voice said, "You never change, do you, Serenity? You are still just as overdramatic now as you ever were."

Serena whirled around to find out her was speaking to her. Standing by a large glass door was a woman who could have almost been her mirror image. Their coloring was different, but the facial features and the hairstyle were the same. Where Serena had golden hair and sky blue eyes, this woman had silver hair and shimmering violet eyes, she was also older than Serena, although she still appeared to be quite young.

A memory flashed through Serena's mind and she knew who this was. "Queen Serenity" she whispered.

The queen smiled gently. "There was a time that you called me mother. But I guess I shouldn't expect that of you at this time. It seems that you've gotten yourself into quite a little predicament, Serenity."

Serena nodded. "I made a wish on the Silver Crystal after I defeated Beryl. I didn't think anything would happen. I was so tired and alone that the words just slipped out."

Queen Serenity looked at her in sympathy. "Do not blame yourself, my darling. You just made the same mistake that I, like my mother before me, her mother, and countless others in our ancestry have made. The power of the Silver Crystal is very literal and you must always watch what you say when you're holding it and its power is active. Otherwise you may end up in an unpleasant situation."

Serena sighed. "I know that now. My biggest problem is how to fix it. There are still enemies attacking the Earth and I feel powerless to stop it. Even transforming into Sailor Moon doesn't help me. Everyone seems to have so much faith in me and the Silver Crystal, but I can't remember how to use it."

The queen gave her a benevolent smile. "All hope is not lost. You already hold the key that will unlock everything. You've had it the whole time."

There was a bright flash of light, and suddenly there was a crystal floating between them.

"The Silver Crystal" Serena breathed.

"It's power never left you, even if your memories of it did." Queen Serenity told her softly. "You are the only one that has command over its powers. It but awaits your command. Just make sure the next wish you make is the right one."

Serena hesitantly reached out and cupped the Silver Crystal between her palms. She thought very hard about the best way to voice her request. She sure didn't want to screw things up worse than they already were.

Finally deciding it was probably best to keep it simple, she said, "Please, Silver Crystal, I wish to take back all the memories that were locked away from me the day I defeated Beryl at D Point."

Queen Serenity smiled broadly. "That was perfect."

The power of the Silver Crystal flowed out and surrounded Serena in its comforting warmth. Thoughts and memories began trickling in, filling the holes and restoring all the times she had forgotten.

She remembered living on the moon, her mother, her friends, and of course her prince, Endymion. But those memories were clouded and hazy when compared to the ones of this life.

Closing her eyes she remembered several things at once. The first time she transformed, the first time she saw Tuxedo Mask, finding the scouts, the yomas, the battles, hunting down the rainbow crystals, it all suddenly became crystal clear.

Of course with the good also comes the bad, and the memories of those last two weeks leading up to the fight with Beryl were the worst. The Silver Crystal had been found and she was revealed to be the moon princess. Darien had been kidnapped and brainwashed by Beryl and she'd had to fight against him. All the scouts had died that day at D Point at the hands of the Doom and Gloom Girls, leaving her alone to face Beryl. She broke Metallia's spell on Darien, only to have him die in her arms moments later after he had saved her life yet again. Then that last, seemingly hopeless battle against Beryl, yes, she remembered it all.

The glow faded as the crystal returned to its dormant state and rested in Serena's palm. She opened teary eyes and looked to the queen.

"Mother" she cried, embracing the woman tightly.

Queen Serenity hugged her back. "There's my girl. I knew you could do it. Now there is no time to spare. It seems that Sailor Moon is needed badly. As queen, I am able to bestow a few gifts. First is this."

The queen held out a new broach. "Keep the Silver Crystal in this and use it to transform. It will make you more powerful. To use it just hold it up and say 'Moon Crystal Power'. I also give this to you."

It was a wand of some kind. It was about two feet long with an elegantly carved ivory handle. Carved wings at the top of the handle made a base for the jeweled top. A large gold crescent wrapped around a round, red gem. At the very top was a small red heart held in place by a thin band of gold.

"This is the moon scepter." Queen Serenity told her. "It is far stronger than your tiara. It actually pulls in power from the Silver Crystal and allows you to use it for attacks. Call out Moon Scepter Elimination to activate it."

"Thank you, mother." Serena said as she took her gifts.

"Anything for you, my daughter." the queen said with a smile. "Now you must hurry back and help your friends. Give the scouts and the prince a hello from me. And one more thing, heed Sailor Pluto's warning."

Serena still wasn't sure what that warning meant, but she nodded her head anyway. "I will, mother."

"I know you will make me proud, Serenity." was the last thing Serena heard before everything faded and went white again. Then everything turned dark.

"Serena. Serena, please wake up, please." a voice was crying.

Serena cracked open her eyes to find herself lying on the ground once more at the construction site. Rini was huddled up next to her crying. It had been her voice that had been calling for her.

"Rini" she whispered, reaching out a hand to touch one of the soft pink pigtails.

The little head snapped up and the teary maroon eyes were wide. "Serena" the girl squealed and threw herself on the blonde. "I didn't think you were ever going to wake up. You were lying so still I thought you might have died."

Serena chuckled. "I wondered there for a minute myself."

A loud boom shook the ground, reminding her that a battle was still going on. She jumped quickly to her feet, marveling for a moment that there was no pain from her earlier impact. The Silver Crystal must have healed her.

She ran back over to the stack of steel beams that she and Rini had hidden behind earlier and took at look at what was going on.

Everyone on both sides was still on their feet, but the fight was beginning to take its toll on all of them.

The dark moon clan was all disheveled looking and sporting an assortment of cuts and bruises. Their clothes were dirty and ripped in several places.

The other side wasn't faring much better. Mars had a nasty looking burn on one arm and Jupiter's cheek was sporting a deep, bloody gash. Venus had a few dark purple bruises on her body, especially on her right leg, which she seemed to be favoring. Poor Mercury looked like someone had tried to drown her and then strangle her. She was dripping wet with dark marks around her neck.

Tuxedo Mask was the only one that didn't have any damage visible on his body, but his clothes were a different matter. His hat was long gone and his cape hung in tatters. The usually pristine white shirt was covered in dirt. One of his pant legs even seemed to be scorched.

Serena felt anger bubble up inside her. This had gone on long enough. Some people may think that a five on five fight was fair, but when they started targeting a helpless child they lost their right to a fair fight. It was time for Sailor Moon to see what she could do.

She felt something in her hand and looked down to see the new broach Queen Serenity had given her in her palm. The Silver Crystal twinkled innocently inside it.

"Rini, I want you to stay here, okay." she told the girl.

Rini looked frightened. "Where are you going?"

Serena pulled the girl into a tight hug. "Don't worry. I won't be going far. Sailor Moon is back, and it's time these creeps found out that they can't push us around."

Rini began grinning. "You remember."

Serena nodded. "Yes I do. So just sit tight and I'll be right back."

She held up her new broach. "Moon Crystal Power". The familiar pink ribbons wrapped around her body and in seconds she was in her fuku once more. The outfit still looked the same, but the power she felt flowing through her was stronger than she had ever felt it.

"Good luck, Sailor Moon." Rini said.

Sailor Moon gave her one last grin before sprinting off. She jumped up onto some scaffolding and then onto the edge of the open second floor of the unfinished building. This way she would come up behind the enemy and hopefully that would help keep them clueless as to Rini's whereabouts.

"I have enough of this." she heard Rubeus rage. "Sisters, let's pool our energy. Between all of us we should have more than enough power from the Dark Crystal to take care of these nuisances."

It was now or never. Sailor Moon stepped to the edge of the ledge and called out in a firm, clear voice, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Rubeus turned to sneer at her. "What are you going to do about it, Sailor Moon?" he taunted. "From what I've seen you're useless in a fight."

Sailor Moon tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, that's right. You said that I was nothing but a little girl that pretended to be a hero. Well maybe you would like to see what this girl can do. I have fought against monsters that would make you wet your bed, so I don't think you weirdoes really pose that much of a problem."

By now all the fighting had stopped and all eyes were on them. The sisters were all snickering at her, while the scouts and Tuxedo Mask watched her with fear and trepidation in their eyes.

Anger turned Rubeus's face red. "You have an awfully big mouth. Let's see how you handle this." He shot an attack of dark, crackling energy at her.

Sailor Moon waited until the last moment before leaping into the air. Twisting in midair, she flipped over the enemy to land near her scouts and Tuxedo Mask.

"Serena, what the hell are you doing?" several of them hissed at her.

Sailor Moon grinned at them. "Just watch and see. Sailor Moon has a new trick up her sleeve."

The four sisters had rushed to Rubeus and were now arguing with him.

"Rubeus, have you lost your mind?"

"How could you attack her? We're not supposed to touch her."

"Prince Diamond will be furious if he finds out."

"He may lock you up, or even worse."

Rubeus waved away their incessant chattering. "I couldn't help it. That smart mouth little bitch had it coming."

Sailor Moon smirked. The five enemies were now grouped together, forming one large target. It was time to see what her new toy could do.

'_I hope this works.' _she thought to herself. _'Moon Scepter, come to my hand.'_

The scepter appeared in her hand, making the scouts and Tuxedo Mask gasp in surprise. She could feel it humming with energy that was begging to be released.

Not one to attack an enemy with their backs turned, she called a warning out to them. "Your fixing to find out the hard way that nobody comes to this planet and does what you have done. Only sick, sadistic freaks would attack a child and make her have to leave her home. On behalf of my powers granted to me by the moon, it's time you were brought to justice."

She felt comforting presences step up on either side of her and looked up to see her friends taking up fighting positions next to her.

Mars gave her an exasperated look. "We're with you, even if you are acting insane."

"There's nothing wrong with a moment of insanity." Venus said flashing her V sign. "Aren't I proof enough of that? Carry on, fearless leader."

"Hey, I'm in. I'm all about kicking ass, and this scum deserves it." Jupiter said, pounding her fists together.

Mercury spoke softly. "We have always been a team, and we stand by each other. I believe in you, Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon gave them a grateful smile. "Thanks guys. I promise I'm not insane. Now let's deal with this so that they can never threaten Rini again."

She felt a warm presence at her back and turned to see Tuxedo Mask looking at her in concern. His face was so much more precious to her now that she remembered everything.

"I hope you know what you're doing?" he whispered.

"I do." she answered softly. "Trust me, I'm thinking clearer now than I have in weeks."

He looked deeply into her unclouded eyes and saw the truth. He could feel the confidence rolling off of her in waves through their bond and his heart leapt. His Serena was back, and she was ready to do what she did best. It was time to take out the trash.

"I hope you're done with your little love fest, because it's time to end this, now." Rubeus snarled. "We have no interest in you, Sailor Moon. Walk away now, and you won't get hurt."

"Yeah right" Sailor Moon snorted. "As if I would do that. What kind of person do you take me for?"

Rubeus's eyes narrowed. "A very foolish one, obviously. Just remember, I offered you a way out."

He turned back to the sisters and spoke to them in a low voice. "Playtime's over. We take them out now. Avoid Serenity as much as possible. I know Diamond doesn't want her hurt, but we can't help it if she insists on butting into things."

The four sisters nodded their agreement and then turned to face off against the heroes. Without warning, they sprang into action.

Renewed by Sailor Moon's confident presence, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask met them head on. In just a few short seconds, it was almost over.

Venus whipped out her love chain, and in the blink of an eye had it wrapped securely around Avery.

Jupiter took Prizma by surprise and sent a stream of lightning at the woman. As it closed around her, she sank to the ground, stunned.

Katzy let out a snarl of outrage and as her purple flames shot from her fingertips. Mars just smirked for a moment before letting loose a volley of her own fire that seemed to rival the flames of hell. The red flame overpowered the purple, leaving Katzy lying on the ground with her clothes smoking.

Mercury dodged a high-pressure blast of water. She called upon the water molecules in the air; she gathered them around Bertie in a bubble. Then she froze it into an impenetrable shield.

With a bellow of rage, Rubeus threw himself at Tuxedo Mask, pulling a dagger from his waist. Tuxedo Mask sidestepped the attack and managed to trip the red haired man, sending him sprawling to the ground. Several well-placed roses pinned him there.

Tuxedo Mask turned to Sailor Moon with a grin. "I guess it's your turn."

Sailor Moon brought the scepter up in front of her. "Okay. Let's see what this baby can do." She spun around and aimed it at the five members of the dark moon clan. "Moon Scepter Elimination"

The scepter began glowing as Sailor Moon felt the power of the Silver Crystal rush through her body. It erupted from the tip in a spectacular shower of silver light. One by one, the women shrieked before disappearing. Rubeus hung on a few seconds longer.

"Do you think this is the end?" he snarled. "This is only the beginning. You're finished Sailor Moon. By the time Prince Diamond is done with you, you will wish you were dead." Then he faded away.

As the light faded away, Sailor Moon dropped to her knees. Taking out five enemies in one shot had definitely used a lot of energy and she felt drained. Exhausted, she let her transformation fade.

She heard hurried footsteps and looked up to see her friends hurrying toward her. One by one, they let go of their transformations to turn back into a group of average looking high school students. Then the excited squeals started.

"Serena, you were fantastic!"

"How did you do that?"

"Yeah, where did that come from?"

"That was simply amazing!"

Serena leaned heavily against Darien, who had knelt down next to her. "I had forgotten how much energy that crystal could suck out of me. I feel like I could sleep for a week."

He smiled down at her. "I imagine you could. You just took at five enemies at one time. What were you thinking?"

She sighed. "I had to do it. I didn't want to destroy them, but they were evil through and through. I had to stop them."

She heard the light patter of small feet, and then a slight weight hit her side. Small, soft arms closed around her neck in a stranglehold.

"I knew you could do it." Rini bubbled happily. "You were just as great as all of the stories I ever heard about you."

Serena giggled. "So I'll still be remembered a thousand years from now, huh?"

Rini nodded. "My favorite bedtime stories are about you. My daddy tells them to me all the time. He told me that they were true, and he was right."

"Hey, what about us?" Raye grumbled. "Doesn't anyone tell stories about us in the future?"

Rini stuck her tongue out at the priestess. "You're in the stories too, so don't blow a gasket."

The whole group laughed at the child's witty comeback.

"So what do we do now?" Mina asked. "Do we go back to school or what?"

"Oh no!" Serena suddenly wailed. "Miss Haruna is going to kill me! I was supposed to be picking up a package for her from the office and I never went back to class. All of my stuff is still there and everything. I am so dead."

Darien gave her a cocky grin. "No problem. I've got connections." He pulled out his cell phone a pressed a speed dial button.

"Hey, Drew…yeah, the situation's taken care of…I've got a favor to ask…"

"So, Serena," Raye asked, pulling her attention away from Darien's phone conversation. "What exactly happened? Are you really back, or just sorta, kinda back."

Serena smiled widely at her best friends. "I am back with a vengeance. No more swiss cheese holes in my head. I remember everything."

Hugs were shared and a few tears were shed at her proclamation. This was the reunion that should have taken place after the battle with Beryl. The team was fully reunited once more.

Darien flipped his phone closed with a click. "All taken care of. Andrew's going to get your stuff and smooth things over with Miss H. He always was one of her favorite students. He's going to tell her that while you were on the way to office your cousin came rushing in to find you. When you heard that she had been in an attack, you hurried out to take her home. Drew's a smooth talker, she'll believe him."

Relief swept through Serena. "Thank goodness. I hated the thought of facing that dragon lady's wrath. I didn't even stop to think. I got the message and just took off."

"Speaking of which, how did you know about the attack without this?" Darien pulled her communicator from his pocket.

Serena grinned sheepishly, pulling out an identical one. "Luna keeps a spare stashed under my bed. I borrowed it when I couldn't find mine. I wanted to stay informed and I had a feeling you guys might try to hide something from me. I was right, too. If I hadn't had this, I would have been clueless."

The rest of them had the good grace to look a little ashamed. Serena considered lighting into them, but didn't. She knew they only did it because they cared about her. She had the best friends in the world.

A sudden buzzing in her pocket had her pulling out her cell phone. She grew concerned when she saw her mom's cell number on the screen. Her mom never called her during school hours. She answered quickly. "Hello"

"Oh, Serena, I'm so glad I got in touch with you." Ilene said frantically. "There was an attack at Rini's school. I hurried down there, but I can't find her anywhere."

"Calm down, mom." Serena soothed her. "I was just about to call you. Rini's with me. She ran to my school when the attack happened. The girls and I were just calming her down. Is it okay if I miss my afternoon classes? We were going to take her for ice cream to cheer her up." She shared a conspiratorial smile with Rini.

Ilene sighed. "Oh, thank goodness she's okay. Yes, yes, take the afternoon off. The poor thing must be traumatized after that attack. You girls be careful and be home in time for dinner."

"We will, mom. Bye." she ended the call.

"That crisis is solved." she muttered. "I've had enough of dealing with mothers today."

The others looked at her questioningly, but she held them off. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now I have to get some food. I was already hungry before, but now I'm starving."

"How about we all go to my place?" Darien suggested. "We can order pizza and have a private place to talk about everything that's happened today."

That brought a loud chorus of agreements from all of the girls. He helped Serena to her feet and kept a steadying arm around her as they walked the short distance to his apartment.

* * *

The carefully cloaked ship that was orbiting the Earth gave a great shudder, sending the occupants running to the large chamber in the center where a massive black crystal sent out pulsating waves of energy.

"Wiseman, what happened?" Diamond demanded as he and Sapphire joined the hooded being.

"Your minions have failed." Wiseman told him. "The moon princess has reawakened and has activated the Silver Crystal once more."

"I've never seen the crystal act like this." Sapphire said wide-eyed as he took in the sight before him.

Wiseman chuckled evilly. "Now you see why it's so important to get the Silver Crystal. The Dark Crystal will feed off of the energy of the Silver Crystal making it the most powerful source of energy in the universe."

"Amazing" Diamond breathed. "I knew Serenity was powerful, but this is beyond anything I expected."

"Be that as it may, Prince Diamond. It would have been better to get the crystal from the girl before she became aware of its power. Now it will be much harder to accomplish."

"But not impossible." Diamond contradicted. "I'll just have to come up with a new plan. You said she defeated Rubeus and the sisters?"

The hooded head nodded. "She annihilated all of them in mere seconds with the Silver Crystal. Not a speck of them remains."

Sapphire punched a wall in rage, leaving a deep depression in it. "How could she?" he growled. "How could she do that? What right does she have to decide the fate of other's lives? I will see her suffer for this."

"Calm yourself, Sapphire." Diamond said smoothly. "It seems that Serenity wants to do this the hard way. She keeps fighting against me at every turn. So be it. I will leave her no choice in the matter now. She will kneel before me and be my queen. And if I have to destroy her mind to do it, I will."

Sapphire gasped in outrage. "You still want her after what she's done. She has proven herself to be a cold-blooded murdering bitch. How could you want someone like that? I say we take her crystal and kill her."

"I know you disagree with me on this brother." Diamond replied. "But have no fear, she will suffer. I will use the third eye that Wiseman gave me to lock her away inside her mind forever. She will become my puppet to do with as I please. It is not the way I was intending for this to go, but as long as I have her in some form I'll be happy."

Sapphire clenched his fists. "Fine. If that's the way you want it. But know this brother, I will never bow to her. She may be your queen, but she will never be mine."

Diamond inclined his head respectfully. "That is your prerogative, Sapphire."

Sapphire turned and left the room. He managed to hold on to his emotions until he was alone in his laboratory. Once sealed inside the room, his rage knew no bounds. Glass shattered and books and papers when flying as he cleared a table with one sweep of his arm.

He stared at the mess sightlessly for several moments as he tried to get control of himself. Prizma's face kept flashing through his head. He hadn't loved her, they were both too selfish and self-serving for that true emotion, but they had been close. Neither she, her sisters, nor Rubeus deserved to have their fate sealed by a loud mouthed, klutzy teenage girl.

If it wasn't for the fact that his brother was the only person that he genuinely respected, he would go right now and choke the life out of the golden haired princess and let her see how it felt to have someone else in control of whether you lived or died. But if Diamond was able to carry through on what he planned, she would suffer a worse fate. An eternity of being able to think, but unable to act on your own, would be worse than death.

* * *

Serena turned over yet again and settled into a different position. She was so tired, but for some reason she couldn't fall asleep. It really wasn't any wonder. Even though her body was physically tired, her mind was constantly racing.

After almost three weeks of wondering if she was slowly going crazy, it was comforting to have all of her memories back where they were supposed to be. Of course, it also meant that her chance at a normal life was gone, but she could deal with that.

After the battle this afternoon, everyone had gone back to Darien's apartment. While she had appeased her stomach with the delicious pizza Darien had ordered in, she told everyone the story of what happened during the battle, how she had traveled to the moon and had spoken with Queen Serenity after she had hit her head on the wall.

Everyone had been spellbound during her tale. Once she had completed it, the excited chatter broke out. Darien and Amy had been more concerned about injuries she might have sustained than anything else. Darien insisted on examining her head for any bumps, while Amy had given her a full scan with her computer. Other than being a little low on energy, she was fine.

They had spent the afternoon trying to come up with a plan on what to do next. Rubeus's parting words had them all fearing that this was far from over, but none of them knew what to expect.

They had questioned Rini, but the little girl seemed to be as lost as the rest of them. She had only been told to come to the past and find them. She had no idea what the next step should be.

With no other choice than to wait, they had all pulled out their school stuff and had done their homework like normal. Luckily, Andrew had delivered Serena's bag to her on his way to the arcade, so she had been able to get her work done. She had shocked everyone by not complaining about it. With just a little help from Darien and Amy, she had completed all of her assignments.

Afterward they had all parted ways. Darien had walked her and Rini home. He had left them at the corner when he saw her father's car in the driveway, however. Ken Tsukino's over protectiveness of his only daughter was legendary. Every teenage boy in the area knew that they would be flirting with death if they ever asked Serena out. So with a swift kiss and a hasty goodnight, Darien had made a fast retreat.

Serena had been a little disappointed. She had hoped to have a few minutes alone to talk with Darien. Now that she remembered the full depth of their relationship, she felt like they needed to have a serious discussion on where to go from here. They had a beautiful, yet tragic past together, but did they have a future?

A slight whisper of sound reached her ears and had her sliding her hand under her pillow to grab her broach she had hidden there. She released her grip on it a moment later as her mind registered the energy of the person who was slipped quietly through the window that had just been opened all the way.

She kept her eyes closed and waited. She felt the presence move closer and then the light trailing of fingertips down her cheek. She slowly raised her eyelids to see Darien kneeling down next to her bed, gazing at her with those beautifully intense eyes of his. He smiled gently when he saw that she was awake.

"Hey" he whispered softly.

"Hey yourself." she replied. "You're making it a habit of coming through my window at night."

He chuckled. "I guess I am. I just felt like I needed to see you. I've thought about you all evening and couldn't go to sleep without seeing you one more time."

Serena giggled. "Are you sure that's not just as excuse to continue keeping an eye on me?" She had informed him and the scouts that it was no longer necessary for them to continue watching her house at night. Now that Sailor Moon was back in action, she would be able to call them if anything happened.

He looked hurt. "Of course not. I just had an urge to see my girlfriend for a few minutes before I went to bed."

Her heart pounded faster at his impassioned words. "Is that what I am, Darien, your girlfriend?"

His cheeks flushed a little as he realized his slip up. They hadn't had a chance to discuss their relationship since she regained all of her memories, but he had hoped that with their return that she would at least think about taking him back completely.

"Sorry" he muttered. "I know you said you wanted to go slow. But you are so much more to me than just a girlfriend, Serena. I want you to know that."

She met his eyes with her own. "I know that. Our love has overcome many obstacles, and this has been no different. I don't see how we could ever be apart. But if you ever pull another stunt like the one you pulled last week, I just may have to kick your ass."

His eyes widened and became hopeful. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She sat up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips and then smiled at him. "Does that answer your question?"

His expression brightened even more. He stood quickly and pulled her up so that she was kneeling on the bed. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and claimed her mouth with his.

Serena gasped at the sensations running through her. Sure, they had kissed during the week that they had been together, but it hadn't been like this. This was much more intense. This was the way that Endymion had kissed Serenity.

A small whimper escaped her as her fingers wound into the ebony strands ay his nape and she pulled him even closer. A low moan reverberated deep in his throat as he complied, deepening the kiss even more. Their tongues danced together as they fought for dominance.

Darien won. Serena wasn't sure how it happened. One minute they were upright, the next they were both sprawled on the bed, his body covering hers. His mouth slid from hers to trail a line of kisses along her jaw to her ear where he took her sensitive lobe between his teeth and nibbled, eliciting a soft moan from her.

"I have missed you so much." he whispered in her ear, smiling to himself as he felt a shiver rack her body. "I know I don't deserve you, but I am so glad you decided to give me another chance."

Her eyes turned serious again. "Just don't make me regret it, Darien. I don't think my heart could take it."

His dark blue eyes met hers, just as serious. "I promise you, Serena, I'll never hurt you like that again. I don't think my heart could take it either."

She pulled his head back down to hers. Their lips had barely touched when they heard the soft click of her door opening. Serena pushed Darien off of her and he rolled quickly to land on the floor on the other side of her bed, hidden from sight. They were so screwed if her parents busted them.

He heard Serena breath out a sigh of relief and took a chance to peek over the edge of the bed. Relief spread through him as well as he saw who their intruder was.

Rini stumbled into the room. Her bubble gum hair was in a tangled mess around her and she sniffled as she rubbed her wet eyes vigorously.

Serena was immediately concerned. "Rini, sweetie, what's wrong?"

A small hiccup escaped the girl. "I had a bad dream. There were explosions and smoke and my mommy and daddy got hurt. Then there was this man with a black hood and he tried to take me away."

The little girl began sobbing. "I want to go home. I want my mommy and daddy."

Serena got up from the bed to pick up the little girl. She tucked the little girl in with her. "Oh Rini, I promise that the other sailor scouts and I are going to do all we can to help you get back home to your parents."

"Hey! What about me?" Darien complained in a loud whisper. "I thought I was in on this too."

Serena rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you are. Don't get your underwear in a bunch."

He gaped at her. "Excuse me?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You know what I mean, Darien." The look in her eyes turned mischievous. "But I am curious, boxers or briefs?"

A dark red flush stained Darien's cheeks. "That's none of your business."

Serena prattled on. "I always imagined Tuxedo Mask to be a boxer kind of guy. Black silk boxers kind of suit him, don't you think?"

Darien's cheeks turned even redder, if that was possible. "Serena, please," he begged. "Stop talking about that."

Serena grinned. "So the dashing masked hero of Tokyo can be embarrassed by talking about underwear. I'll have to remember that one."

Rini giggled sleepily. "You two are funny." Her eyes fluttered shut as sleep began to claim her. "You remind me of my parents." she mumbled.

The two teens watched as the little girl slipped off to dream land. They had no idea how to help Rini with her problem, but they were sure as hell going to try everything in their power.

"I guess I better go." Darien said softly.

Serena nodded. "I'll see you in the morning."

She snuggled down into the bed and Darien pulled the covers up around the two girls. He leaned down to kiss Serena lightly on the lips. "Goodnight, my princess."

Serena smiled at him. "Sweet dreams, my prince."

Darien reached over and smoothed some hair back from Rini's face. "Goodnight, little munchkin."

Rini whimpered a little in her sleep and turned her face into his palm. "G'night…daddy." she whispered.

**A/N** Okay. Sailor Moon's back…YAY!!! After this I start really deviating away from the original story line and making this story my own. Some of the original events will still take place, but just like the rest of the story has been, they may be different or happen in a different order. I'm going to try my best to update again before the end of the year, but I can't make any promises. Happy Holidays everyone! And remember to please drop me a review. And if anyone's interested in a holiday story, check out my one shot called On A Silent Night. Catch ya later!

~Sere~


	11. Tarnished Diamond

**A/N **I know, I know, I'm ridiculously late posting this chapter. I'm sorry. Real life has been a pain in the butt lately and I've had almost zero writing time. What time I have been able to squeeze in I've been devoting to Lunar Princess, but the next chapter is pissing me off and not wanting to go the way I want it to. So to take my mind off things I ran through and edited this chapter for you. I hope you like it. Time for hugs. Here we go. BIG HUGS TO:

**invaderzimebabe92**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**xo Usako ox**

**TatianaRomanov**

**bakagirl123**

**luna345**

**ange de l'aube**

**lulubelle**

**JoFlake**

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**midnight blue08**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**Taeniaea**

**missmyrtlemay **

**Ldsprincess**

**RainSummoner**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**lizsuki **

As always, thank you for your support and your wonderful reviews. I couldn't do this without you guys. I'm going to shut up now and let you read.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 11

Tarnished Diamond

"Rini, slow down." Serena cried as she ran down the sidewalk after the girl. "We have plenty of time before we have to meet the others."

"I know." Rini chirped. "But I thought that if we got to the park early I could play on the swings for a while."

Serena caught up to her and tugged playfully on one of the pink pigtails. "Oh, I see how it is. You have an ulterior motive."

Rini grinned at her. "Uh huh."

Serena laughed. "Well what are we waiting for? The swings await us."

It had been a blissfully uneventful week, and Serena was glad about that. It had been a week since the attack at Rini's school and the return of her memories. While she was happy to have her head back in order, she was still grateful for the breather.

School had passed quickly for a change and Serena had rushed home afterward to check on Rini, who had stayed home because her school was closed for repairs. Finding the little girl safe and sound, Serena had filled her in on the plans that she and the others had for a late afternoon picnic at the park. Rini had shrieked in delight and had practically drug her from the house in her excitement.

They reached the playground in the park a few minutes later and Rini ran straight for the swings. She sat on one and began pumping her legs to make herself go higher.

"Do you need me to push you?" Serena asked her.

Rini looked outraged. "No way! I'm eight years old. Only babies have to be pushed."

"Well excuse me." Serena muttered to herself and chuckled. She watched the girl in amusement as the swing climbed steadily higher and higher. She sure was an independent little thing.

A shadow fell across her and she looked up, expecting it to be one of the girls or Darien. But instead she met a pair of familiar lavender eyes.

"Dominic!" she squealed as she gave him a brief hug. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since that incident at the amusement park. I was afraid that you had been hurt worse than you let on when you didn't show up for school."

He smiled at her. "I had some business to take care of that required me to leave town. I just got back today."

"Well, I'm glad you're back." Serena said genuinely. "I had kind of gotten used to seeing you around."

"Is that your way of saying that you missed me?" Dominic asked slyly.

Serena felt a little uneasy. She knew Dominic had feelings for her, but she honestly couldn't picture herself with anyone but Darien. She decided to play it neutral. "Of course I missed you. You are one of my friends."

A look of annoyance passed across his face, but he covered it quickly with another smile. "Sooo" he drawled. "I heard a rumor about you earlier. I heard that you and that Shields guy were back together again. But I know you wouldn't be crazy enough to take him back after the way he hurt you."

Serena shifted nervously from one foot to another. "Actually, it is the truth. It was all a big misunderstanding before. But once we finally talked we were able to work things out."

Dominic growled low in his throat. "Have you forgotten the pain he caused you? He hurt you so much. How could you just forgive him like that?"

Serena felt a flicker of anger at his tone. "Look, my relationship with Darien is…complex."

He snorted. "Complex, is that the way you classify it? I call it abusive. You are too dependent on him. He broke your heart, and yet all he has to do is whisper a few meaningless words and you crawl willingly back to him. I thought you were a stronger woman than that."

Serena started to feel that fuzzy feeling that she always seemed to feel whenever she was in Dominic's presence begin to swirl around the edges of her thoughts. But regaining her memories and knowledge of the Silver Crystal had her prepared this time. She pushed back against whatever energy that was and kept her head clear. Maybe the others were right and Dominic was the fair-haired guy that Sailor Pluto had warned her about. It was sad; she had hoped that they could be friends.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Dominic." she told him slowly. "I had thought that we were friends. But I can't be friends with someone who doesn't respect my decisions about my own life. Darien and I have known each other for a very long time, and we will always be a part of each other's lives. Goodbye, Dominic."

She started to walk away, calling for Rini, "Hey kiddo. We've got to go meet the others now." But she stopped short when a hand wrapped painfully around her wrist. She looked back, shocked to find a livid Dominic glaring at her.

His normally soft lavender eyes were as cold as steel. "Do you think you can brush me off and walk away from me? You have no idea who you're messing with."

Serena's eyes hardened as well. "No, you're the one who doesn't know who he's messing with. Now let go of me. You're hurting me."

His gaze softened a bit and the iron grip he had on her wrist lightened slightly. "The last thing I want is to cause you pain, but that seems to be the only way to get through to you. It works for your little boyfriend, so why not for me?"

She pulled against him. "Please, Dominic." she pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't leave me alone."

He jerked her hard, bringing her flush against his chest. He leaned down to whisper harshly in her ear. "Bring on your worst Sailor Moon. I'm ready for you."

He chuckled darkly as he felt her stiffen in his arms at the mention of her alter ego. "I must admit that you are a formidable foe. Are you surprised that I know who you really are? I know more about you than you think I do, Serenity."

She jerked back violently, her eyes wide in confusion. "How do you know that name?"

He reached up with his free hand and sank it into her blonde hair, pulling her head back so that he could see her eyes. She glared at him defiantly, making his blood heat and his pulse jump erratically. Yes, those were the eyes that had haunted his dreams. The same eyes that had captured him from the moment Neo Queen Serenity had cut him down with them.

It took all of his willpower to keep from teleporting her straight to his bedchamber on the ship and taking her body over and over until she could scream no one else's name but his. He wanted her. It was like a poison in his blood. He would have her eventually, but first she must be punished for her defiance.

"So beautiful…" he whispered. "How far will you go to defy me, Serenity? Will you risk the lives of Endymion, your scouts, and that brat? I don't think you will. But we shall see."

"Who are you?" Serena asked quietly. "What do you want from me?"

He smiled a deceptively tender smile. "You will find out who I am in time, Serenity. As for what I want, I want you and the Silver Crystal. The pink haired nuisance was my original target, but you are much more alluring. I want you as my queen. Together we will rule the universe."

Using a little of her extra scout strength, she ripped herself out of his arms. "That's not going to happen, buster. I used to think you were nice, but now I see what a sick, twisted person you are. I wouldn't be with you if you were the last man on Earth."

He sneered at her. "We'll see if you still feel that way when everyone you love is dead. This is war, princess. That pathetic earth prince, your friends, your family, none of them will be safe."

Serena felt fear flood her, but it was quickly followed by anger. "Are you threatening me? If you know as much about me as you claim to, you must know what I'm capable of."

A grin stretched across his face. "I'm very aware of your special talents, Serenity. It's one of the things that initially attracted me to you." He took a step toward her. "That and your deliciously tempting body."

Serena tried to step back, but he was quicker. She found herself hauled back into his arms where they closed around her like a steel vise. She struggled against him as he brought his lips to her ear.

"You took away some very important people from me the other day." he growled. "I never would have thought that you would be one for murder."

She froze at his words as thoughts of the fight at the construction site filled her head. Memories of the five people she had defeated had haunted her all week. Sure she had destroyed youmas in the past. She had even gotten rid of Beryl. But she had never used her power to attack other humans before. The thoughts that they had been killed because of her had been troubling.

"They were friends of yours?" she mumbled.

"More than friends." he whispered smoothly. "They were members of my family."

Serena reeled back in shock. "Your family?"

Dominic nodded. "Not in the traditional sense. We weren't blood related, but we were all connected. We formed a family because none of us had our own to depend on. And you destroyed it in just a few short minutes."

"But...but…I…" Serena stammered.

"Shh" Dominic breathed. "I honestly wouldn't have expected anything less from you. But I can't let this go unpunished. I consider myself to be a fair man, so I say an eye for an eye. You took five of my generals away, so I think that taking those annoying scouts and your precious Endymion from you should even the score, don't you think?"

Serena's blood ran cold. "You stay away from them. If you so much as lay a finger on any of them I'll…"

"You'll what?" he interrupted. "Will you kill me as well, Serenity? I never knew you were so bloodthirsty. So much for the innocent little moon princess known for her compassion and love. But that's okay, everyone has a dark side. I look forward to exploring yours even more."

He jerked her even closer. Before Serena could process what he was doing, he had brought his lips to hers in a hard, demanding kiss. She gasped, and he took advantage of that by sliding his tongue past her lips. The kiss turned punishing as her soft lips began to bruise under his.

Regaining her wits, Serena began struggling in earnest. She twisted in his arms and tried to break free. She was shocked when he moaned into the kiss. That sicko! He was getting turned on by the feeling of her body against his. She could feel the hard proof of it beginning to press against her stomach.

She suddenly had a flash of memory. Lita had once instructed her on the best way to get away from a guy when he was attacking you. She had laughed at the time, thinking that she would never have to use those moves, but it seemed like the time had actually come.

She bit down on his tongue that was still invading her mouth. He swore and pulled back, loosening his hold on her as he reached to wipe away blood from the corner of his mouth. Without pausing, she sent her knee slamming hard into his groin.

He groaned in pain and let her go, falling to his knees. "You bitch!"

She was still shaky from the ordeal, but forced her voice to stay steady. "Don't you ever touch me again. You stay away from my friends and me. I may not like the idea of killing, but I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. They have sacrificed so much for me, so many times, so the least I can do is protect them with everything I have."

"Serena" Rini's hesitant voice called to her.

She turned to look at the unsure look on the girl's face and felt panic set in. Everyone was in danger. What should she do? She couldn't think rationally. She needed to find the others.

"Come on, Rini. We're leaving." she said as she grabbed the little girl's hand and began walking away.

She heard a laugh behind her and turned to look over her shoulder at Dominic. He had gotten back to his feet and was watching her with amused, lavender eyes. The confident look on his face sent chills straight down her spine.

"So this is how you want to play, Serenity?" he said in a low voice. "That's fine by me. It will make the game that much more enjoyable. But know this, you will not win. In the end I will have you. Let it begin."

With that, he disappeared.

Fear, unlike anything she had ever felt before, began to set in, causing tears to blur her vision. She began running, pulling Rini behind her. She wasn't paying attention to which direction she was going; she just went with a gut feeling. She hadn't gone far when she crashed into another person. She felt familiar arms close around her and breathed in his unique scent as she leaned against his chest.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Darien asked as he held her. "Your emotions have been going haywire for the last several minutes. I could feel them and followed them to you. What happened?"

Serena wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and clung to him for dear life. "Hold me, Darien." she whispered into his chest. "Just hold me for a little while. Make me feel safe like you always do."

Unable to resist her plea, he tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head as she cried quietly against his chest. He soon felt her tears through the material of his shirt.

Feeling at a loss, he looked to the girl standing next to them. "What happened, Rini?"

She shrugged. "I don't really know. Serena took me to play on the swings. A little while later I looked and saw her with that Dominic guy. They looked like they were fighting about something. Then he…" her voice trailed off.

Rage began to boil in Darien. He had thought that perhaps they were done with that bastard when he quit coming to school, but obviously he was back in the picture and was back to pursuing Serena once again.

"What did he do?" he ground out between clenched teeth.

Rini took a step back at the anger she heard in his voice, her eyes wide with fear. Darien noticed this and his face softened some.

"I'm sorry, Rini." he said softly. "I'm not mad at you. I just want to know what happened." He took one arm from around Serena and held his hand out to her. After a moment's hesitation, she smiled and placed her small hand in his. Darien pulled her close and wrapped his free arm around her.

"So they were fighting?" he prompted.

Rini nodded. "I don't know what about. I wasn't close enough to hear. But Serena looked really mad. He grabbed her and wouldn't let go even though Serena tried to get away. Then he…" a shudder racked her frame, "he kissed her."

Blind fury settled over Darien. "I'll kill him." he growled. "So help me, by the time I'm done with him there won't even be enough left of him to bury."

"No!" Serena exclaimed, raising her head to look at him with reddened, teary eyes. "You have to stay away from him. Promise me that you won't go looking for him, Darien, please."

One look at her fear stricken face had him reluctantly agreeing. "Okay. I won't go hunting for him, but you have to tell me what's going on."

She nodded. "I will. But can we go find the girls first? This involves them too."

"Fine. They should be down near the lake waiting for us by now." he said. "How about a piggy back ride, Rini?"

Rini clapped her hands enthusiastically and then squealed as Darien swept her up and settled her on his back. Her small arms encircled his neck.

"Hold on tight." he told her, and then put another arm around Serena, squeezing her gently. "Let's go."

* * *

Sapphire chuckled as he watched his brother walk stiffly across the room and sit gingerly on his chair. "So she fought back, did she? And you thought getting her would be easy."

"Shut up, Sapphire." Diamond growled and waved his hand. A glass of red wine appeared floating in front of him. He drank the whole thing down in a few quick gulps before turning his eyes to his brother. "Yes, she fought me, but not for long. She acts brave, but I can tell she was running scared. The moment I threatened those close to her she panicked. Soon she'll be willing to sacrifice herself for them, and I'll be waiting."

Sapphire smirked. "So what's your next move?"

Diamond snapped his fingers and the glass suddenly refilled itself. He studied the red liquid thoughtfully. "I gave her a lot to think about today, so perhaps I'll let her stew for a day or two. No sense in me doing all the hard work when I can just let her emotions beat her up from the inside. With a few small pushes from me, she'll soon be ready to fall."

"So you still want her." Sapphire grumbled. "I had hoped you changed your mind since she attacked you."

A dreamy look settled on Diamond's face and what could only be described as a gentle smile touched his lips. "Of course I still want her. It is just a testament to her passionate nature that she is determined to fight against me." He sighed. "It will be a shame to watch that light disappear from her beautiful eyes, but she has left me no choice."

There was a surge of dark power in the room as a black-cloaked figure appeared before them. "How fares your mission Prince Diamond?"

"All is well, Wiseman." Diamond replied. "In a few short days I will have the moon princess under my power. Then we will have the power of the Silver Crystal in our control."

Wiseman bowed his head. "Very good, your highness. But are you sure she is the one we should be taking? I still think the little princess would be more suited to our plans. She has more power than she is aware of and is just a child. She would be easy to mold to our ways."

The glass in Diamond's hand cracked as he squeezed it tightly. "No, I want Serenity. That child is an abomination that should have never been born. The thought of that golden angel being with Endymion and bearing his child turns my stomach. Once Serenity is mine the future will change and that little brat will cease to exist. The world will then be ours to command."

"As you wish, your highness." Wise man said as he faded away. He reappeared in the chamber that held the dark crystal and watched as it pulsated with power. Once the power that was possessed by the descendants of the moon kingdom was infused with the energy of the Dark Crystal, it would become an unstoppable force.

Neo Queen Serenity had proven time and again that she was one of the most powerful beings in the universe, but she also possessed a strong mind and will. She may not be as easy to control as Prince Diamond thought she would be.

But her daughter, on the other hand, was a totally different story. The young girl was a direct descendant of the royal lunar family and, as such, had been blessed by the power of the Silver Crystal. In addition, contrary to Diamond's beliefs, King Endymion was no weakling either. A child born from their union couldn't be anything other than powerful.

And she was only a child. A scared, confused little girl that was far from home with no clue as to what was happening or why. It would be only too easy to prey on her doubts and confusion and turn her to his side. Her mother may be powerful, but under his guidance he was sure that the girl would far surpass her

"Maybe it's time to form a plan of my own." he muttered to himself. "Diamond had just about lived out his usefulness. I need an ally that is strong and will not question my motives. And I have a feeling that Princess "Small Lady" Serenity might just be the perfect one for this position."

He held his crystal ball before him and it swirled wildly for a moment before an image became clear. He saw a tall, black haired, teenage boy walking along with his arm around a petite blonde girl. But his focus was on the pink haired little girl that was on the boy's back

In order to ensure her existence, Diamond's plans would have to be foiled. The earth prince and the moon princess would have to be allowed to found Crystal Tokyo and become the king and queen. Their marriage would have to take place in order for Small Lady to be born. If Diamond came between them, she would disappear.

Wiseman thought that he might need additional help in executing his plan. He smirked. He knew exactly where he could find it.

He teleported himself into a sealed chamber where a woman laid dejectedly across a bed. She sat up quickly, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Wiseman" she gasped. "Why are you here?"

He surveyed her thoughtfully. "Prince Diamond has become blinded by Serenity. They must not be allowed to be together. It will destroy us all if they are. I thought perhaps I could count on you for help. What do you say, Emerald?"

A malicious smile turned up her lips. "I say, count me in."

* * *

"What!" several voices chorused together and rang throughout Raye's room.

After finding the girls at the park, Serena had insisted that they all retreat to the temple where they would at least have some privacy before she revealed what had happened between her and Dominic earlier.

They had stayed quiet for the most part, with only a few exclamations and curses. But when Serena reached the part about where Dominic had forcibly kissed her, all hell broke loose.

"That son of a bitch!" Lita swore. "The next time I see him I'm going to shove a lightning bolt up his ass."

"Not if I barbeque him first." Raye retorted hotly. "Just who the hell does he think he is?"

Even Amy was livid. "I can't believe the nerve of that guy."

Mina stood up, a look of determination on her face. "Okay, scouts. Time for action. We'll show that bastard that nobody messes with our princess and gets away with it."

The other three agreed and jumped to their feet, their hands already reaching for their henshin rods as they headed for the door. There was a blur of movement and all four of them pulled up short, staring in shock at the figure in front of them.

Serena stood with her arms held wide, blocking the door. "No way! You are not going after him. Did none of you hear what I just said? He knows who we all are. He even knows about our past. He threatened to kill you. There's no way that I'm going to let you go and confront him. You could die."

"Oh please!" Lita snorted. "Like we're scared of that pansy ass."

"For real." Raye seconded. "We are the sailor scouts after all."

"It's our job to protect you." Amy protested.

Mina nodded. "I'm sure his bark is worse than his bite anyway."

Serena shook her head adamantly. "Is any of what I said sinking into those thick skulls of yours? I have a feeling that this guy is dangerous, more dangerous than anyone we've had to face yet. What kind of friend would I be if I let you go running off to face someone who might kill you?"

"But it's our duty to protect you. You are our princess. It's why we were reborn." Mina said softly, laying a hand on Serena's shoulder.

Serena shook her hand off as tears began pouring down her cheeks. "No it's not!" she screamed. "None of you get it. You were reborn to have a chance to live your lives. I am not the same girl I was in the past. I am not a princess. Serenity doesn't exist anymore. I am just plain old Serena, a sailor scout just like the rest of you. I already have enough blood on my hands. I will not condemn you too."

Everyone watched in shocked silence as she fell to her knees on the floor, sobbing. "I've already watched all of you die twice." she whispered. "I won't do it again. I won't stand by and watch you give your lives for me again. I couldn't live with it."

All four girls knelt down next to their leader and best friend and hugged her tight, tears of their own staining their faces. Mina turned her head to look at Darien, who had sat quietly through the whole thing.

"Darien," she asked softly, "What do you think about all of this?"

"I'm not happy about it, but I respect her decision." he sighed, eyes looking stormy with pent up emotions.

"But don't you feel like killing him?" Lita asked as she looked at him in wonder.

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed. "I wish that no good bastard was here in front of me right now. I would take great pleasure in breaking his face and every other bone in his body for having the nerve to manhandle and threaten Serena."

A soft whimper from his blonde girlfriend had his face softening. "But she asked me to not go hunting him down, and her feelings mean more to me than getting my revenge. I'm sure we'll run into him at some point since he's talking about trying to take over the world. We'll get our chance to kick his ass."

"Sounds like we need a plan." Raye said firmly. "We are the sworn guardians of this planet, after all. If an enemy threatens it, we have to defend it."

"If only we knew who he was." Amy muttered. "That would help things a lot. Serena, are you sure he didn't give you any clue to his identity?"

Serena shook her head as she got up from the floor. She walked over and sat down next to Darien, leaning her head on his shoulder. "No. I asked him outright, but he said I would find out later. All I know for sure is that he wants the Silver Crystal…and me."

She felt a kiss land on the crown of her head and looked up to find Darien smiling down at her. "Hey, don't stress so much. We'll figure it out."

She shivered against him. "I sure hope so. I hate admitting it, but this guy scares the crap out of me. I wasn't this scared when I was facing down Beryl, and that bitch was definitely high up on my fear factor list."

Rini suddenly giggled, drawing attention to where she had been sitting, aimlessly doodling on a sheet of paper.

"What's so funny?" Serena asked.

Rini turned sparkling eyes on her. "You are. You say that he scares you, but you kicked his butt earlier. It looked like you hurt him pretty good too, because he fell on the ground."

"What! You got a hit in on him? You didn't tell us that." Mina cried.

"Right on!" Raye cheered. "I hope you laid him out good."

Amy shook her head. "I don't normally condone physical violence, but in this case I'm glad you did it."

"All right! Serena kicked ass!" Lita crowed. "Did you bust his nose? That would be great if you did, mess up that pretty boy face of his."

"Uh well," Serena muttered, blushing as she glanced up at Darien. "Not exactly."

Rini was now jumping up and down in excitement. "He wouldn't let go, so she hit him with her knee, it must have hurt a lot because he fell down hard and was rolling around and moaning. It was really funny. It didn't look like she hit him that hard, but he went down like a ton of bricks."

Serena felt Darien wince and shudder next to her as he caught on to what she had done. The others stared at her in open-mouthed disbelief.

"Oh my gosh…" Mina gasped.

"Serena, did you really…" Amy whispered.

A grin was spreading across Raye's face. "You racked him?"

Lita jumped up and began pounding a fist into her palm. "Oh hell yeah! I knew those moves I taught you would come in handy someday. High five girl!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes, I hit him in a…sensitive area. I would have rather broken his nose, but my arms were kinda pinned to my sides."

The girls all broke out into an excited chatter about how they wished they could have been there to witness the incident. Darien was quiet for several moments before leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Remind me to never make you mad." he said.

Serena's cheeks flushed pink as she looked timidly up at him. "Don't worry, I could never do that to you. I was panicked and disgusted all at the same time and just acted on instinct. I didn't even want to bring it up in front of you because I know guys can be a little…touchy about that subject."

He chuckled. "Yeah, we are. But in this instance I don't mind. It got you away from him and that's all that matters."

The other four teenage girls had finally settled down and reclaimed their seats. Mina propped her elbows on the table and pinned Serena with a look. "So what's our next move, oh fearless leader?"

Serena giggled and threw a handful of chips from a bowl on the table at the effervescent blonde. "I thought that was your title. I'm not sure what to do next. There has to be a way to figure out who he is. I'm thinking Dominic is definitely an alias."

"He reminds me of someone." Rini grumbled as she returned to drawing on her paper. "I don't know who, but I feel like I've met him before. I just can't remember when or where."

"Hey, don't stress out about it." Serena told her. "We'll figure all of this out one way or another. Now, even though our picnic was interrupted, there's no need to let all of this delicious food go to waste."

* * *

She stood on a balcony of the moon castle, her long, white dress falling in shimmering waves to the floor. Looking out over the lunar landscape, she saw nothing but a sea of death and destruction.

Spots of bright color caught and captivated her eyes. Jubilant orange, icy blue, flame red, and vibrant green marked the spots where her four guardians had been cut down. Struck down while fighting to protect her from an obsessive mad woman.

They didn't deserve this. Although they had pledged their lives to her, nobody deserved to have to have this fate. It wasn't fair.

Blinded by tears, she backed away from the railing only to stumble over an obstacle in her path. She landed hard on the floor of the balcony. Pushing the hair from her eyes and wiping away the tears, she looked to see what she had tripped over.

Her prince lay dead before her in a pool of his own blood, his blue eyes forever closed. Not caring about the blood spread out around him, she scrambled to his side and pulled his head into her lap. Tears fell from her eyes to land on his cheeks as she leaned over to press a kiss to his still lips.

"Please, my love, open your eyes." she whispered brokenly. "You can't be dead. You wouldn't leave me alone like this. Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter have left me, you can't leave me too."

She cradled his body to her and rocked back and forth, sobbing her grief. She looked down at her hands that were now red, covered in his blood. His blood, along with her scouts, her mother, and everyone else who had died this day, was on her hands.

"ENDYMION!!" she screamed in anguish as the reality of what had happened finally set in.

An evil chuckle came from behind her. "Poor little princess. They all died because of you. I tried to play nice. I gave you many warnings, but you refused to give him up. Endymion belonged with me."

She turned her head to find Beryl lounging casually against one of the pillars. The witch had a smug look on her face. Serenity lay Endymion gently back down on the floor before standing and facing the woman.

"I didn't kill them." she growled menacingly. "You're the one that did this. You brainwashed Endymion's generals and then used them to attack the moon. They killed the women that they loved on your command. You yourself plunged the sword into Endymion's back."

Beryl smirked. "That may be, but why did it happen? It happened because they were protecting you. They are always protecting you."

Beryl seemed to grow and swell with every word she said. Her red hair changed to teal and the moon scenery faded away to reveal the snow and ice of the arctic. She continued to grow until she was roughly the size of a twenty-story building.

"And then you get reborn and do it all over again." Beryl screamed.

There was a bright flash of light, and five bodies appeared on the frozen ground.

"No" Serenity moaned, twisting her hands into her still blood soaked dress. "Darien, Mina, Raye, Amy, Lita, no."

"History keeps repeating itself." Beryl hissed. "It's only a matter of time before they sacrifice themselves for you again."

Serenity shook her head. "No. I won't let it happen again. They have sacrificed too much for me already. I will find some way to keep them safe."

The towering Beryl disappeared, and someone else took her place. It was a man with longish silvery white hair and lavender eyes. He looked a lot like Dominic, but there were a few differences. This man was dressed all in white and had a long, sweeping cape. There was also a black, inverted crescent moon on his forehead.

"Join me, Serenity." he said in Dominic's smooth, cultured voice. "Join me, and I will let them live. Deny me, and they will die a long, agonizing death."

"Who are you?" Serenity asked.

He smiled maliciously. "I am your future, your destiny. Just as you are mine. Our fates are one. There are great things in store for us." He held a hand out to her. "Come to me my queen."

Serenity took a step back. "But…but I…"

His eyes narrowed. "Are you still denying me? Do you really want to watch them all die again? Because that is what will happen if you refuse me."

"I don't think so, Diamond." a familiar voice said.

Serenity looked to see Darien, still dressed in Endymion's armor, rising from the ground. In a flash of golden light, his clothes changed. He was now wearing a soft lilac tuxedo, the color of the early morning sky right before dawn. He had cape to match and his usual white mask covered his eyes. He also held a long staff with a golden crystal at the top.

Serenity felt a glow surround her, and when she looked down, she saw that she was now dressed in her fuku. "Darien, what's going on?" she whimpered.

He turned to look at her and she gasped. This was her Darien, no doubt about it, but right now he looked a little older, more mature. But there was no mistaking those deep blue eyes staring at her from behind the mask. They always had the power to suck her in.

"Serena" he said softly. "You need to get out of here."

"Ah, Endymion." Diamond drawled. "I can't say I'm surprised to see you here. She is hard to stay away from, isn't she?"

Endymion growled. "You really are a sick bastard. I can't believe you would stoop so low as to invade a young girl's dreams to try and get your way. You are pathetic."

"At least I see her for her true value." Diamond snapped. "You've always just taken her for granted. At least with me she can live up to her true potential and become the queen she was meant to be. She has always held back because of you, and it's a hard sight to endure."

Diamond shot a blast of energy toward Endymion, making Sailor Moon gasp. Her moon scepter flashed into her hand with just a mere thought. But before she could power it up, she was surprised.

There was a flash of golden light from Endymion's staff and a shield appeared, blocking the two of them from Diamond's attack.

"Serena" Endymion called out. "You have to go now. You have to wake up."

"Wake up?" she muttered. "Are you telling me that this is just some crazy dream?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." he told her. "You're not ready to face Diamond yet. Now get out of here while you can."

There was another flash of golden light…and then darkness.

Serena bolted up in her bed, panting heavily and covered in sweat. That was by far the most vivid and realistic dream she had ever had. She shivered slightly. Her body felt cold as if she had really been in the Arctic Circle just a minute ago.

"What in the hell was that?" she murmured to herself. "I thought I was done thinking I was insane. Maybe I shouldn't have scarfed down that cheesecake that Lita sent home with me right before bed."

Still feeling shaken, she pushed back the covers and walked over to her window. She pulled it up and let the warm breeze wash over her, warming her still chilled skin. She had a sudden urge to see the moon, but she couldn't see it right now from her window.

Climbing out onto the window frame, she grabbed the roof's overhang and pulled herself up onto the top of the house. She found a spot and sat down, gazing up at the moon. It looked like a creamy pearl shining in the sky.

She wished she had someone to talk to about the dream. She had always turned to her mom when she had something on her mind, but she hadn't been able to confide in her like she used to since the whole scout business had come to life. Her parents would probably have her locked up in a loony bin somewhere if she told them about the recent events in her life.

Looking up at the place that used to be her home in the past, she found herself thinking of her past mother, Queen Serenity. How she wished she were here. She could talk to her about the recent events.

Suddenly there were sparkles of light in the air, like there were a thousand fireflies dancing in the night air. They seemed to come together and formed one bright mass. When the light died down, a woman was standing in their place.

Queen Serenity smiled benevolently at Serena. "You wished to speak to me, my daughter?"

"Mother!" Serena cried. "How are you here?"

The queen chuckled. "Moon magic runs deep in your veins, Serenity. Tonight is the night of the full moon. It heard your cry and granted your wish."

Serena jumped up and hugged her former mother tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. I've been so confused recently. There is so much going on that I don't even know where to begin."

Queen Serenity brushed Serena's bangs back from her eyes. "How about you start at the beginning."

So Serena spilled out everything, from the battle with Rubeus and the four sisters, to her fight with Dominic, and her recent nightmare. The ancient moon queen sat silently and let her bare all of her thoughts and worries.

When she was done, the queen sighed. "None of it is your fault, Serenity. You have never been to blame for anyone's death. The scouts and Endymion have died fighting against evil, not just because they protecting you. They are all upholders of justice and they will not stand by while dark forces threaten all that is good. You would do the same."

Serena chewed on her bottom lip. "Yes I would. I defeated Beryl and Metallia to keep the earth safe. But this new enemy, it's hard. I fought against five of them the other day and won. But I never set out to kill anyone."

Queen Serenity shook her head. "No, you're too pure to kill, and the crystal knows that. When you use the power of the Silver Crystal to vanquish an enemy, it looks deep into the heart of the person it's being used against. As long as there is a speck of good in them, the crystal will not destroy them. Instead it purifies them so that they might be able to claim a new life."

Serena watched in shock as the queen held out her hand and five stones appeared. One was a fiery red, one deep purple; another was icy blue while the other two shone burnt orange and jade green.

"Are those…?" Serena began and trailed off.

"Yes" Queen Serenity confirmed. "These are the ones that you fought against. The crystal found the seeds of goodness inside of them and cleansed them. The are waiting for you to release them to claim their new lives."

"What do I do?" Serena asked, ecstatic that she wasn't the murderer she had felt like for the past week.

Queen Serenity giggled. "It's not that hard. You just ask the Silver Crystal to release their spirits."

Serena joined in her laughter as she reached into her pocket for her broach. The crystal sparkled brilliantly as if awaited her command. She held it close and murmured her wish. There was a flash of rainbow colors, and then the five people from the construction site stood before her. Their figures were transparent and glowing under the light of the moon.

"Thank you for saving us, princess." they all whispered. "Now we are free to live again. Please save our brothers and sister. They are under an evil influence. We will be here if you need us."

With another flash of light, they were gone. Gone to claim the lives that they had so desperately wanted. Serena had tears in her eyes as she looked up at the sky, wishing them all the best.

"So now they're free." she said softly.

The queen nodded. "Yes. They're on to bigger and better things. I'm sure you'll cross paths with them again soon."

"I'm so glad." Serena sighed. "It wasn't right for them to have to live under the shadow of whoever this evil is."

"Are you up for a little more magic?" Queen Serenity asked her.

Serena looked confused. "I guess so. But what else can I do?"

The queen looked at her seriously. "This enemy you face is a very powerful foe. I fear that it may be too much for you, Endymion, and the scouts to face alone. So I propose that we send out for some additional help."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked. "Who else could possibly help us in this fight?"

Queen Serenity gave her a brilliant smile and held out her hand where a few more stones appeared. "Oh, I was thinking of calling in a few old friends."

Serena's eyes widened. "Are they who I think they are?"

The queen's eyes twinkled mischievously. "That depends, dearest. Who do you think they are?"

Serena threw back her head and laughed. "Oh man, everyone is going to freak out."

"Does that mean that you'll release them then?" Queen Serenity asked.

Serena nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely. We need all the help we can get. Besides, we could use a little comic relief around here, and this should be very entertaining."

The queen laughed. "You have a mean streak in you, Serenity."

"Oh yeah, I wonder where I get that from." Serena giggled. Then she turned serious again. "If I release them, where will they go?"

"Fear not. They will not go far." Queen Serenity reassured her. "These stones only represent their past memories. They were reincarnated here the same as the rest of you. You may have even seen them before since they don't live far from here. But none of you would have realized who each other were."

"They've been so close this whole time?" Serena whispered. "Okay, let's do this."

She held the Silver Crystal close once more and spoke her wish softly. A flash of light later, and there were four more shadowy figures before her. They looked around for a moment as if in shock, and then looked at Serena.

The tallest one spoke first. "Princess? How can this be?"

Serena grinned at them. "Just a little moon magic. You have all been reborn in the future. The scouts and I, along with Endymion have been fighting to keep the earth safe, but we are facing a powerful new enemy and could use some help. I was wondering if you wanted to return to the land of the living and give us a hand."

All four knelt down before her. A dark haired one spoke next. "Of course we would, your highness. We would gladly pledge ourselves to you, the prince, and the scouts. There is no question about."

"You've got that right." said the one with short, tousled blonde hair. "Anything's better than being locked up in that rock. And I'm in the mood for a good fight."

The smallest and quietest in the group just rolled their eyes at the bloodthirsty blonde. "We are at your disposal, princess. You have only to ask."

Tears stung Serena's eyes. "Thank you, my friends. Now go find your bodies and claim your lives. We'll have time for reunions later. Meet us tomorrow after school at the Crown Arcade. I'm sure the others will be as excited to see you as I am."

They all gave a short bow before disappearing in another flash of light. The spirits flew through the Tokyo night sky to enter four bedrooms. Each colorful orb hovered over their intended target for a moment before slowly floating down and being absorbed into the bodies.

With a jerk, four people suddenly sat upright in their beds, heads spinning as memories from a thousand years ago flooded their minds. Once everything seemed to settle down and fall into perspective, they began to grin. Oh yeah, they were back in action.

**A/N** So what do you think? Diamond's stepping up his game and it looks like Serena and the others are in major trouble. Yay, King Endymion used his power to save Serena from a nightmare instead of causing a nightmare for a change. And what is Queen Serenity up to with these reinforcements? Our mystery guests will show up in the next chapter, and the battle will heat up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to drop me a review. I absolutely love reviews. See ya next time!

~Sere~


	12. And the Fireworks Begin

**A/N **Hey guys! You know, I really shouldn't be messing around with this story right now, I've got a killer paper due in my Lit class. But I needed to get my mind off things for a while, and this is more fun anyway. I don't have a lot to say, but I want to thank everyone for their amazing reviews on the last chapter. You guys are the best! Okay, time for hugs. BIG HUGS TO:

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**celestialwitch **

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**Uhamilton**

**TatianaRomanov**

**missmyrtlemay **

**snoopykid **

**moonkisss **

**chimichurri **

**ange de l'aube**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**WildFire203**

**alrightscooby **

**luna345**

**x** (dot) **deyaws **(dot) **x -**sorry, for some reason it kept erasing your name. I didn't want you to think I forgot about you.

**S dot Serenity**

**MaximumRideTwilightLover**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

Thanks for everything you guys. You are definitely the heart that keeps me inspired to write. So anyway, here's Chapter 12.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 12

And the Fireworks Begin

Lita consolingly patted the shoulder of the blonde girl next to her. "Come on, it's not the end of the world."

The golden head rose up from where it had been resting on the table to reveal eyes that were twin pools of blue, hopeless despair. They began to glitter with unshed tears as she looked over toward the long counter of the arcade and the sight of the teenage boy that was sitting on one of the stools with a girl snuggled up comfortably on his lap.

She let out a shaky sigh. "Don't you get it, Lita?" she moaned. "That could have been me. I could have been the one sitting there with him laughing and sharing a milkshake. But I waited too long and I missed my chance."

"Oh for crying out loud, snap out of it." Raye grouched from her seat across from the emotionally distraught blonde. "It's not like he's the only guy out there. There's plenty more where he came from."

"But I thought he was the one." she whispered. "I thought for sure that I had found my own knight in shining armor. Amy, you understand, don't you?"

The studious, blue haired girl lowered the book that was in front of her face to look at her friend. "Oh no, I'm not getting in the middle of this."

"Amy!" the girl wailed. "You're the smart one around here. Aren't you supposed to have some words of wisdom for me? This just isn't fair!" Her head fell back down to the table with a resounding thump, leaving the other three girls to look at each other with bewildered expressions.

"Hey" Lita tried again. "How could you have known that his ex girlfriend was going to move back here? I thought you guys might have a shot too, but you have to move on. Maybe we can go to the mall later and scope out our prospects."

The head came back up again, a glare on her usually angelic looking face. "I hate Rita. I hate her, I hate her, I hate her. And I hate Andrew too."

"Mina" the rest of them gasped. "You don't mean that."

"Andrew's one of our closest friends." Raye reminded her. "You can't hate him just because he's with someone else."

Amy nodded emphatically. "And Rita has never been anything but nice to us. You can't hold the fact that they love each other against either of them."

Mina blew out a sigh. "You're right. But I still can't believe I missed my chance. Andrew and I would have been good together. I should have made my move sooner."

"Well now you know that the next time you find a guy you like you better jump on it right away and not beat around the bush." Lita told her.

"That's what I'm going to do." Mina said, grabbing her milkshake and taking a long sip from it. "The goddess of love will not let this get her down. Those guys at the mall better watch out, because I'm going hunting. It's not fair for Serena to be the only one in our group to have a great guy. We should all do some serious boyfriend shopping."

Raye let out a low whistle under her breath. "Maybe we won't have to go to the mall after all. Mother of all that is holy, take a look at what just walked in the door, girls."

Mina and Lita's heads spun around, and even Amy peeked around them cautiously, trying to appear like she wasn't really interested. But she found herself as captivated as the rest of them as they looked at the four guys that had just entered the arcade.

Three of them were blonde, while the other was a brunette. They looked around as if the were looking for someone. All fours girls let out startled squeaks as the eyes of the insanely delicious looking hotties landed on them. They quickly slumped down in the booth to avoid detection.

"Great thundering Jupiter, did you get a load of that?" Lita muttered.

Mina was almost shaking. "Holy Aphrodite! Somebody pinch me so I know this isn't a dream."

Raye was fanning herself. "Man, the sacred fire doesn't even make me this hot."

Amy ducked back behind her book, blushing furiously.

"I don't ever remember seeing them in here before. Who do you think they are?" Lita hissed.

Mina had a dreamy look on her face. "I don't know, but damn, talk about walking gods. Raye, Amy, you can see them better than us. What are they doing?"

Raye poked her head up a little. "They're just standing there talking."

Amy's bright blue eyes peeked over the top of her book, and then widened. "I know those uniforms. They must go to the Bradford Academy."

Mina's eyes lit up. "You mean that fancy prep school that all the rich kids go to?"

Lita rubbed her hands together. "Hot damn! Good looking and loaded too? I gotta get me some of that."

Amy let out a strangled sounding squeal. "They're heading this way."

Lita began fluffing her ponytail while Mina quickly pulled out a compact mirror to apply a fresh layer of lip-gloss. Raye fidgeted, straightening the bow on the front of her uniform. Amy's fingers were clenched tightly around the edges of her book and mutters of "Sweet goddess, save us all" could be heard.

Although it seemed like an impossible feat, by the time the four guys had sat down in the booth across from them all four girls were sitting calm and composed, looking as cool as cucumbers. They struck up a quiet, meaningless conversation about school while sneaking covert glances at the guys across the aisle.

Lizzy, Andrew's younger sister, walked over to see if the newcomers wanted anything. They all ordered a soda, and each of the girls felt their hearts flutter at the sound of the smooth voices. Lizzy turned and saw her friends eying the hunks and gave them a thumbs up, mouthing the word 'HOT' to them.

They grinned at her and then turned their attention away from the table before they were busted openly ogling. They tried to focus on keeping their attention on their flailing conversation, but were shocked a moment later when one of the guys leaned across the aisle and spoke to them.

"Excuse me, ladies, but do you come here often?"

They all jumped at the sound of his voice. He was closest to Mina, and she looked up suddenly, only to be struck speechless.

He was very muscularly built with large, broad shoulders. His hair was so light platinum blonde that it almost appeared to be white. He wore it a little longer than what most guys did, and it hung down into his eyes. And what eyes, they were the thing that mesmerized her the most. They were a stunning silvery gray that seemed to see right into her very soul.

Her mouth opened and closed several times, but she was unable to get her voice to work. Raye finally took pity on her and leaned across the table to speak to him in her usual forward way.

"Yes, we are here pretty much every day. I'm Raye. The gaping fish here is Mina. The amazon next to her is Lita. And the bookworm over here is Amy." she informed him boldly.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." he said with a smile. "My name is Kyle. The big lug next to me is Nick. The one across from me that looks like he's permanently pissed off about something is Jake. The quiet one in the corner is Zack."

These introductions brought a round of protests from the rest of the guys.

"Screw you, Kyle!" Jake snapped. "You'd be pissed too if you walked out to find that somebody had keyed your car. If I ever find out who did it, I'll kill them."

"Big lug, my ass!" Nick said in an offended tone. "We're almost the same size, genius."

Zack just sighed and rolled his eyes, the look on his face clearly stating his reluctance to get drawn into the squabble.

The girls sat in silence for a moment, listening to the guys bicker among themselves until the hilarity of the scene hit them. Then they broke out into peals of laughter. The guys stopped yelling at each other and turned surprised eyes on them.

Mina was wiping tears from her eyes while Lita was pounding on the table as she laughed. Raye was doubled over, clutching her stomach, and Amy had given up trying to hide behind her book, choosing instead to smother her laughter with her hand.

"Uh, excuse us. Did we miss something?" Nick asked, perplexed.

"Yeah. What's so funny?" Jake demanded.

Lita composed herself first. "We're sorry. We've just never seen any group other than ourselves get into it like that."

Raye snorted. "That's only when Serena's around. Where is that ditzy meatball head anyway? She should have been here by now."

Amy spoke up for the first time. "Now be fair Raye. You know that she had to go pick Rini up from school and take her home first. I'm sure she'll be here as quick as she can."

Lizzy came up then and gave the guys their sodas. After she left, it seemed that the ice had been broken. The girls and guys unconsciously paired off and started conversations with each other. Mina with Kyle, Lita with Nick, Raye with Jake, and Amy with Zack.

The girls soon found themselves completely enraptured by them and forgot all about Serena and Darien for the time being.

* * *

"Mmm…Darien." the petite blonde moaned. "We should really stop. We're supposed to meet the girls at the arcade, remember?"

"Mm hm…" the ebony haired prince murmured as he continued to kiss his girlfriend's swan like neck. He worked his way up to her jaw and moved toward her lips. "Just one more kiss. Please." he whispered in a husky tone.

Serena let out a shuddering breath. "You don't play fair."

He grinned evilly at her. "I know." Then he swooped in and covered her lips with his.

They had parted from their friends after school and had gone to pick Rini up. After seeing her safely to the Tsukino's house and leaving her under the watchful eye of Luna and Artemis, they had left out to meet their friends.

Fate had frowned on them however. Thanks to a sudden thunderstorm that had popped up earlier, there were several puddles of water standing in the streets. As they had stood at a corner waiting for the light so they could cross, a car had come by and hit one of the puddles. Water had showered up and come right for them. Darien had acted on instinct, shielding Serena's body with his own. The end result was Serena being bone dry and Darien a dripping mess.

They had decided to make a detour to his apartment so he could change. It was near the arcade anyway, so it wasn't really out of the way. Darien had left Serena in the living room while he hurried to his bedroom to change. When he had come back, she was gone.

A sound from his kitchen had pulled him in that direction. When he walked in, he was presented with a view that set his hormones right into the stratosphere. There was Serena, bent over as she studied the contents of his refrigerator. Her softly rounded, blue-skirted clad derriere was impossible to miss.

"Ah ha" Serena muttered as she stood and pulled something from the refrigerator. "I knew he had to have something to drink in here besides plain old water."

Darien had watched all of this in amusement. "So, you found my hidden stash, huh?"

She whirled around, eyes wide, clutching the can of Mountain Dew close to her chest. "Oh, uh, I got thirsty."

He chuckled as he walked over to her. "Go ahead. I have plenty. I always keep a couple of cases stashed away in the pantry. I have to admit, they are one of my weaknesses."

Serena giggled at that. "So the dashing Tuxedo Mask admits that he has a weakness? Who knew?" She popped the top on the can and took several long swigs of it.

Darien almost groaned as he watched her throat move as she swallowed. He had been trying his best to take things slow like she wanted to. But she was so innocently tempting that it made it almost impossible to be around her without thinking about wanting to kiss her senseless.

Trying not to notice the moisture that clung to her lips, he moved his attention back to their conversation. "Yes, even I have weaknesses. And right now I'm looking at the biggest one of all."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "This soda?" she asked, holding up the can.

He reached out and took the can from her hand and set it on the counter before pulling her into his arms. "Not the soda, silly. You are my biggest weakness."

"Oh" she murmured, a faint blush staining her cheeks a rosy pink.

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm trying so hard to do things the way you want to. But it seems like every time I turn around you're there, tempting me."

"Darien" she whispered, meeting his sapphire eyes with her cerulean ones. "Kiss me."

That was all the encouragement he needed. His head dove down and fixed his lips on hers like a starving man. He felt her arms go around his neck and pull him closer as she moaned softly into the kiss.

So that was how they had ended up in their present predicament. What had started out as a request for a kiss had turned into a full-blown make out session with her pressed up against his refrigerator.

They had to come up for air eventually, and when they did they pulled apart slowly. They gazed into each other's eyes for several long moments as they panted for breath. That is until Serena let her eyes stray to the clock on the microwave.

She let out a startled shriek. "Oh man! I'm so late. Raye's going to barbeque my ass, I just know it."

She pulled Darien from the kitchen and began ushering him to put his shoes on. All the while she kept muttering an ongoing tirade under her breath. "I am so dead. I told them to meet us there. I hope none of them were stupid enough to let anything slip out yet. If they did, the arcade might not even be standing by the time we get there. I never should have set this up in such a public place. Stupid, stupid, stupid Serena."

Darien took her by the shoulders. "Hey. What's got you so worked up all of a sudden? So we're running a little behind. It's not that big of a deal."

She looked at him in exasperation. "Trust me, it's a bigger deal than you think. But you'll find out soon enough."

He had no choice but to hurry after his princess as she physically drug him from his apartment.

* * *

"Oh no, you did not just try to run me off the road!" Mina exclaimed as she jerked the steering wheel to the left to correct her course. "That's dirty racing!"

Kyle grinned at her from the seat next to her in front of the racing game. "It's not dirty at all. It's survival of the fittest, sweetheart. You have to learn to roll with the punches."

"Oh yeah, well let's see how you like this." she slammed her gearshift into third and sent her car flying past his. "Ha ha, eat my dust."

Amy and Zack shook their heads at the competitive couple from their spot next to the crane machine. Amy held a couple of plush dolls in her arms that she had shyly accepted from Zack after he had won them. He had studied the position of the prizes inside the machine for several minutes before deciding which ones were most likely to be picked up by the crane.

Amy was impressed by his analytical way of thinking. She also liked the way he was a little shy and soft spoken just like her. She also thought he was very cute. He had wavy wheat colored hair that he wore kind of long and intelligent looking green eyes that made her feel at ease.

"Damn it, stay down." Raye growled at Jake as she pounded on the controls of one of the fighting games. "Ah ha. I've got you now. You can't beat a flame thrower." She beat his character and turned a smug look on her companion.

Jake glared at her for a moment before his expression softened and he smiled at her. Her breath caught in her throat at the change. His cobalt blue eyes seemed to laugh and complimented his golden blonde, casually messy hair.

Nearby, Lita was glaring at the numbers on a digital display. After talking a while with Nick, they had discovered that they both liked martial arts. Lita had challenged many other guys to try to beat her at the punching bag game several times, but none had ever beaten her until now.

Nick looked at her in sympathy. "Don't take it too hard. You pack quite a punch."

"If you say for a girl I'll knock your teeth down your throat." she ground out between clenched teeth.

He held his hands up in surrender. "I wasn't going to say that, honest. You hit harder than most of the guys I know. You're a strong person."

Lita read the sincerity in his slate blue eyes and decided to lighten up. She couldn't help but admire his strength. And he looked roguishly handsome with his mahogany hair shining under the lights.

Each couple was off in their own little world, so it came as a shock when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and a female voice asked, "Are we interrupting something?"

They all turned to find Serena and Darien standing nearby, watching them. The girls all jumped to attention at once. Meanwhile the guys all stared in shock at Darien. They seemed to be on the verge of saluting the former prince, but Serena warned them not to with a quick shake of her head.

"Where have you been, meatball head?" Raye demanded. "Do you have any idea how late you are? We've been waiting here forever."

Serena sighed and held back the sharp retort that she longed to fling at the fiery priestess. She needed to try to keep things calm if she wanted things to go as smoothly as possible.

Darien stepped up instead. "Lay off, Raye. I had a little mishap with a rain puddle and had to run by my place first. Don't blame Serena." That seemed to mollify the dark haired girl.

Serena, on the other hand, turned a stern look on the four guys. "I can't believe you four. I know I told you to meet us here, but did you have to move in so quickly? You could have at least waited for me to get here."

Mina gasped. "You know them already?"

Serena shifted her weight uneasily. "Not really. Well, maybe a little. It's more complicated than that."

Lita growled. "Were you trying to set us up?"

"No, that's not it." Serena was quick to reassure them. "Look, it's complicated and this really isn't the place to discuss it. Let's go outside and I'll tell you everything."

There were grumbles heard, but everyone followed her out the back door of the arcade and into the alley. The door had barely closed behind them when the questions started flying.

"What the hell is going on, Serena?" Mina demanded. "Were you trying to set us up with these guys?"

Serena let out a pent up breath and turned to face everyone. The girls and Darien were standing together, looking at her with guarded expressions while the other four guys had gravitated toward her and were standing close by. She opened her mouth to try to explain, but was cut off by Kyle stepping in front of her.

"Nobody's been set up here." he said smoothly. "Is there something wrong with a group of guys getting to know a group of girls?"

Mina shot him a death glare. "I don't think I was asking you. I was talking to Serena. Thank you very much."

He returned her glare with one of his own. "And I'm trying to keep her from being blamed for something she didn't do."

""We just heard her say that she asked you four to meet us here. What are we supposed to think?" Mina threw back.

"Well if you would shut up for a minute, she might be able to explain." he growled.

Mina squealed in outrage. "Did you just tell me to shut up? Why you obnoxious…"

Serena had heard enough. The petty arguing was getting on her nerves and giving her a headache. She broke into the middle of their squabbling. "For the love of Selene, Venus, be quiet, please. And you Kunzite, I thought Jadeite would be the one to give me trouble, not you."

Absolute silence descended on them after her outburst. Even the sounds of the city faded away, leaving everyone to gape in silent shock. The scouts studied the reincarnated earth generals, looking past the few changes from their former appearances to see who they really were.

Darien was the first to recover, and he stalked over to grab Serena and thrust her behind him protectively. He glared darkly at Kyle. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

Kyle sighed and gestured to Serena, who was peeking around Darien. "You better ask the princess that. She's the one that did it."

"Serena, how could you?" the scouts all exclaimed together.

Darien turned his head to pin her with disbelieving eyes. "He's lying, right? I know there's no way that you would have done this."

She took one look into his sapphire depths and saw the hurt and anger there. She wished that she could deny it, but she couldn't. She whispered softly, "Yes, I did it. I released them. But I had my reasons."

"What reason could you possibly have for bringing this down on us?" Darien snapped. "Did you think we didn't have enough going on at the moment?"

She looked at him pleadingly. "Please Darien, just listen to me for a moment. They were your best friends. And…"

He cut her off. "Yeah, '_were'_ being the operative word here. I don't see how you did it. The last time I checked, they were all locked away in stones and I kept the box they were in up in the top of my closet."

Serena was trying desperately to stay calm so that she could try to explain. But Darien cutting her off and the accusatory tone of his voice made her temper rise to the surface.

"Well, I didn't steal them if that's what you're insinuating." she responded, anger flushing her cheeks and making her eyes bright. "You're not even listening to me. I thought we could use the help."

"Help!" Raye screeched. "You thought we needed help so you turn to them? This has got to be the dumbest thing you've done yet, meatball brains."

Jake stepped forward, blue flames snapping in his eyes. "Stuff it, Pyro. She hasn't done anything wrong. She saved us from eternal imprisonment when she let us out of those rocks."

Lita growled. "You guys wouldn't have been in there in the first place if you weren't such assholes." Her eyes landed on Nick and she scowled. "I, for one, have no intention of dying again because of these bastards."

Nick looked genuinely confused at her words. "What do you mean, 'dying again'?"

Kyle looked just as stupefied. "Yeah, I don't get it. What in the world are you talking about?"

Mina stalked up to him and poked him in the chest. "Don't try to play innocent with us. I find it amazing that you can even stand here and look us in the eyes after all you've done."

"Venus" Kyle murmured and laid his hands on her shoulders. "I don't understand what you're saying."

Mina pulled back from him sharply, her eyes wide and pain filled. "Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me again you son of a bitch!"

Amy stood back quietly, watching the scene play out. Zack managed to catch her gaze with his pleading green eyes. He looked like he was going to step toward her, but stopped when she shook her head sadly and took a step back. Her large blue eyes filling with tears.

"I've heard enough of this shit." Lita snarled and pulled out her henshin rod. "I say we go ahead and kick their asses now so we don't regret not doing it later."

The other three girls next to her nodded their agreement and pulled out their henshin rods as well. They held them up and were about to call out their transformations when there was a flash of white light. The rods flew from their hands.

Everyone turned to find Princess Serenity standing where Serena had been a moment before. Her long white dress rippled in the breeze and her moon insignia glowed brightly on her forehead. In her hands she held the four henshin rods.

She looked at them sadly. "Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, I can't allow you to harm the generals. I awakened their past selves because I believe that we need all the help we can get to defeat this new enemy. These are their true selves, not the brainwashed puppets we fought against before."

"How do we know?" Raye demanded. "How do we know that this isn't a trick by the enemy to take us down from the inside?"

Serenity turned cool blue eyes on her. "Are you questioning my motives, Mars?"

Raye looked like she was going to retaliate for a moment. She opened her mouth, and then snapped it shut with a shake of her head.

"But how do we know we can trust them?" Lita ground out.

Mina nodded next to her. "Exactly. It's kind of hard to do considering everything they've done to us."

Serenity shook her head. "Didn't you hear what I said? These are not the same guys that fought for the Dark Kingdom. They are Endymion's generals, the way they were before Beryl turned them against us. They were our friends."

Darien stepped up to face her. "It's a lot to take in, Serenity. It's hard to trust them, especially those two." He leveled a cold look on Kyle and Zack, making them take a step back. "Did you forget that because of them I was kidnapped, brainwashed, and made to fight against you? For crying out loud, I almost killed you because of them."

"Ohhh" she fumed and stomped her foot. "You're not getting it either, you big dumb jerk. I thought that out of everyone you might be the one to understand and support me on this. But you're just as stubborn as the rest of them. I give up."

She waved her hand and the henshin rods floated back over to their rightful owners. "Go ahead and fight it out if you want to. Kill each other if it makes you feel better. If any of you are still standing after it's over and feel like helping me against this new enemy, come and find me. But for now I'm going home."

She turned and stalked down the alley. In another flash of light, she changed back into Serena. They all watched in shocked silence as she disappeared around the corner.

The four guys looked at each other in understanding before turning and walking away as well.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" Mina hollered at them.

They all paused and looked back at the still enraged and confused scouts and their prince.

"We're going to find her and see what we can do to help." Nick told them.

Darien took a menacing step toward them. "And what gives you the right to go after her?"

Kyle shook his head. "Endymion, we are your generals, and we are loyal to you. But we have also pledged our allegiance to Serenity as well. She has given us a new lease on life, and we are forever grateful to her for that. She asked for our help, and we're going to give it to her."

With that, the four earth generals stalked out of the alley, leaving behind a shell-shocked group of people.

"Great Selene, what are we going to do?" Mina whispered.

"I don't know, Mina." Darien muttered. "I honestly don't know."

* * *

Serena sank to the ground under the tree in her front yard, panting for breath as tears flowed down her cheeks. She had managed to hold it together until she was out of everyone's sight before breaking down, Then the tears had come, blinding her vision as she ran all the way home.

She had known that today's confrontation would be hard. She had even expected the anger and disbelief. But she had never thought in a million years that Darien and her friends would just cut her off and not even listen to what she had to say.

Had she truly done the right thing by awakening the generals? She felt bad for them now. Maybe they would have been better off staying blissfully unaware inside those stones. She had thought she was doing something good, but now she felt hopeless.

She bent her legs up in front of her and wrapped her arms around them before burying her face in her knees. The tears kept coming and were now accompanied by racking sobs. It was tearing her apart to think that the people closest to her were mad at her.

She didn't hear the footsteps approaching her. But when an arm wrapped around her she couldn't help but lean against the comforting warmth beside her. She continued to cry for a few more minutes until the well finally ran dry. Then she pulled back with a sniffle to look into sparkling blue eyes.

She flung her arms around him and moaned, "What am I going to do, Jed? They probably all hate me now."

Jake held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. "Shh Serenity. I'm sure they don't hate you. Nobody ever could. It's just going to take them some time to adjust. It was a major shock for them."

She sat back and looked at the others. Kyle was knelt down next to on her other side while Nick and Zack stood in front of her. They all looked at her with concern in their eyes. She had been closest to Jadeite and Kunzite during the Silver Millennium, but she had shared a deep affection with all of the generals, and they had treated her like a little sister.

"We need to talk, Serenity." Kyle said gravely. "From the way Endymion and the scouts reacted to our presence, I have a feeling that a lot has happened that we don't know about."

Serena nodded. "You're right, a lot has happened. Let's take a walk over to the park and talk there. My dad's due home soon, and if he catches you four out here with me he'll kill you before you've even had a chance to start living again."

Nick chuckled. "Protective is he?"

She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. My mom's been helping me cover up the fact that I'm seeing Darien. He would probably have a stroke if he knew. And don't go around calling me Serenity. I'm Serena in this time."

The guys all laughed and shared their names with her as she got to her feet and began leading them toward the park. After finding a nice secluded spot where they wouldn't be interrupted, they all sat down for a long chat.

Serena wasn't sure how to begin her tale so she asked, "How much do you remember from the Silver Millennium?"

Kyle, taking on his role as leader, spoke for them all. "Quite a bit actually. We definitely remember Endymion, you, and the scouts with perfect clarity. That's why we are confused. We were all so close before. What happened to change that? I thought Venus would come running into my arms when she realized who I was, not freeze me out the way she did."

Serena sighed. "It's hard to explain, and I'm not sure where to start. What's the last thing you remember?"

"The day of the ball to announce your engagement to Endymion." Kyle told her. "Some of Beryl's little rebels had been stirring up trouble in a nearby village. We went to check it out. It wasn't far, and we thought we had time ride out and return before joining the rest of you on the moon."

Jake let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, that's what we thought until we got ambushed by that red headed bitch and her little lackeys. I still can't believe they got the jump on us."

Nick shook his head. "We were all wounded and brought before Beryl. She asked us to join her, and we pretty much told her to kiss our asses."

Zack hung his head. "The last thing I remember is lying there as she shot us with some kind of dark power. After that it was like I was locked up in a dark place for a long time until you set us free."

"Same here." Jake said with a shudder. "It would definitely suck for someone that was claustrophobic."

Serena looked at them sadly. "It looks like I've got a lot to cover then."

She told them the whole story. She told them about the fall of the moon kingdom and the part that they had played in it and the deaths of the scouts. She haltingly spoke of Endymion's murder and her following suicide. She then moved on to tell them about how they had all been reincarnated and how she had reunited with her scouts and her prince to fight against the dark kingdom once more. She explained their search for the rainbow crystals and finding the Silver Crystal.

She teared up a little when she talked about Darien's abduction and brainwashing and how they had been forced to fight against each other. She broke down even more when she spoke of the day of the final battle and how the scouts had fallen one by one and then how her prince had sacrificed himself for her yet again.

Then her voice hardened as she told them about her final showdown with Beryl and how she had finally defeated the dark witch and Metallia with the help of her friend's energy and the power of the Silver Crystal.

All was silent as she finished her story and the reincarnated generals took time to process everything that she had told them. She knew it was a lot to lay on them, but they deserved the truth.

"We…I…killed Venus." Kyle finally broke the silence. He was visibly shaking. "That's not possible. I loved her."

The others looked just as horrified as he did at the revelations they had just heard. The thought that they had not only killed the women that they had loved, but had turned against their prince and his betrothed pierced them to their very souls.

Jake shook his head defiantly. "He's right. There's no way I would have harmed a hair on Mars's head. And furthermore, we've all been living right here in Azabu all of our lives. And I can promise you that we haven't been running around attacking people."

"I know you haven't." Serena reassured them quickly. "I think Beryl killed you and locked away your souls when you refused to join her. Then she used her dark power to reanimate your bodies to serve her. When my mother used to the crystal to send us to the future, she sent your true selves as well. You were given a second chance the same as the rest of us."

"A chance that may be wasted if we can't find a way to prove to the girls and the prince that we are on their side." Nick muttered morosely as he remembered the look of disgust he had seen on Jupiter's face earlier.

"There has to be a way." Zack insisted. 'There must be some way to show them that we are all on the same team."

"There is." Kyle said. "I believe we can prove our loyalty by helping out against this new enemy. So princess, fill us in on what were going up against."

Serena smiled her gratitude at them and filled them in on what little they knew about the latest threat. By the time she finished, the sun was hanging very low in the sky. She bid them all a hurried goodbye, but not before she handed each of them a small calculator sized object.

Just the day before, Luna and Artemis had presented the scouts and Tuxedo Mask with new communicators that doubled as wristwatches. Serena had swiped the old communicators early that morning to give to the guys. They didn't run on the same frequency as the new ones, but she had held on to her old one so she could keep in contact with the generals.

She gave each of them the communicator that corresponded with the scout that they were closest to and promised to call them at the first sign of anything wrong. Then she hurried home so that she would be in time for dinner.

* * *

"Ahhh" Venus screamed as she was flung up against a tree by the monster. Her back hit it hard and she felt the rough bark tear into her skin through the material of her fuku. She hit the ground hard and lay there for a moment stunned.

She heard the moans and grunts from her fellow scouts as they struggled against the monsters that had managed to ensnare them in their traps. This attack had been launched by five creatures that looked like mutated women, and the scouts were finding out quick that these foes were definitely different from the youma they had faced in the past.

Jupiter was currently tied up by one that had long vines for arms while Mercury was held prisoner by one that could stretch her body like rubber. Mars was locked in a deadly embrace by one that had eight arms like a spider.

Tuxedo Mask was fighting against one that had tentacles like an octopus, which left Venus facing the one that she was calling Medusa in her head. The strange creature had hair that was made out of writhing snakes, which she had been using to try to subdue the blonde scout.

"Well, well, blondie." the monster cackled as it began to advance on the fallen scout. "You thought you could take me on, but I've got you now."

The droid whipped her head around and sent the snakes flying in her direction. Exhausted and in pain, Venus didn't feel that she had the energy to even move. There was a flash of red, and then she felt someone pick her up gently before leaping into a nearby tree.

"You okay, Venus?" Tuxedo Mask asked in concern as he set her on her feet.

She swayed for a moment, trying to regain her balance and doing her best to ignore the tearing pain in her back.

She gritted her teeth. "Yeah. These bitches are a tough group. I hope Serena gets here soon. We could sure use her help."

Tuxedo Mask closed his eyes for a moment as he felt out with the bond that he shared with his love. He felt her anxiety as she hurried toward them. "She'll be here soon. It's almost like these monsters knew where to launch an attack that was far enough away from Serena's house to ensure that she would be the last one to arrive."

Venus nodded her head. "I know. I thought we could hold them off until she got here, but this is getting out of hand."

Suddenly the branch beneath them gave a shudder and then broke as it was hit by a blast of energy, sending them both plummeting to the ground. Before they could recover, they found themselves caught in the clutches of the last two monsters.

"Shit" Tuxedo Mask cursed as he struggled against the bonds of the tentacles that were wrapped securely around his body.

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." A voice chuckled as a man with dark blue hair appeared in front of them. "I thought it would be harder to capture Princess Serenity's loyal protectors, but you practically fell right into my hands."

"What do you want from us?" Tuxedo Mask demanded.

The man looked bored. "Nothing much. I just needed a little insurance to secure Serenity's cooperation. I thought of going after her family and that little pink haired brat, but this seemed a little more personal."

"And what do you want with our princess?" Jupiter sneered as she squirmed against the confining vines.

The man's eyes went cold. "I, for one, want nothing to do with the murdering bitch. I just want the Silver Crystal from her. My brother, on the other hand, has some special plans for her."

"You'll never get her." Mars growled. "It will be over our dead bodies first."

"That can be arranged easily enough." the man said with unholy glee.

Shrieks were heard all around as the bonds tightened around the heroes, making it feel like the life was slowly being squeezed from them.

The entire area was suddenly lit up with a rainbow of light as beams of orange, red, green, and blue energy flew through the night, cutting the scouts free of their imprisonment and destroying the monsters that held them.

Tuxedo Mask watched in amazement as a glowing gold disc cut him free of the tentacles and the monster behind him exploded into dust. The disc flew back toward the shadows of the tree line and disappeared.

"What the hell?" the man exclaimed. His eyes widened along with everyone else's as five figures stepped out of the darkness where they could be seen.

Sailor Moon stood in all of her petite glory in the middle, flanked by four much taller and broader men. Each man wore a soft, dove gray uniform with sweeping capes. The only difference in the uniforms was the lining of the capes and the embroidery around the collars and cuffs, as well as the buttons down the front.

The platinum haired man was wearing bright orange, the brunette deep green. The golden haired one was in fiery red, and the last blonde was in icy blue.

"Well, well, Princess Serenity. So nice of you to join us." the blue haired man drawled. "I've been waiting for you. And I see you brought more friends along to join the party."

"Go to hell, Sebastian, or whatever your real name is." Sailor Moon spat. "I don't appreciate being pulled out of bed in the middle of the night only to find you and your psycho monsters terrorizing my friends. What do you want?"

"Ohh, someone's cranky when she doesn't get her full eight hour's sleep, isn't she?" he said with a smirk. "I guess it's not a secret anymore. I am Sapphire, younger brother of Prince Diamond, the ruler of the dark moon, Nemesis. And you know full well what we're after. My brother made that perfectly clear during the last conversation you had with him."

Sailor Moon's lips turned up in a feral grin. "You mean when I sent him falling to the ground squealing like a little girl? Yes, I remember that little chat well.

Sapphire's eyes narrowed on her. "You vicious little bitch! I don't see why my brother cares so much about you. You are nothing but a bloodthirsty murderer. You're not even fit for Diamond to wipe his boots on."

By this time, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask had regained their feet and had walked over to join Sailor Moon and the generals. Sailor Moon slipped her hand into Tuxedo Mask's as he came to stand next to her.

"Are you okay?" she whispered to him.

He gave her hand a squeeze. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks to you. Another minute and that squid lady would have crushed me."

"What are they doing here?" Mars hissed, warily eying the generals along with the other scouts. "We don't need them here."

"Can it, Pyro." Sailor Moon rebuked her. "They are here at my request as backup. And if I'm not mistaken, they just saved your lives. So I don't want to hear a word out of any of you."

Clearly still put out, but deciding to drop the subject for now, the scouts turned their attention back to the immediate threat.

Sapphire eyed them all with disgust. "So you all would protect that no good little tramp. No matter. I'll just kill all of you. And maybe I'll _'accidentally'_ kill the princess as well. It's no less than she deserves after the wrong she has done. It may displease my brother, but he'll get over it once we have the Silver Crystal in our possession. Say goodnight, everyone."

He held his hands up and they began to glow darkly as he gathered energy. Tuxedo Mask instinctively shoved Sailor Moon behind him and the scouts closed in around her. The generals unconsciously took up their traditional places at the side of their prince.

Sailor Moon froze as images of her friends dying for her flooded her mind. The dream from the night before had haunted her all day. Beryl's voice filled her ears as she screamed at her that history would keep repeating itself. That they would die again for protecting her.

Shrugging off Venus's hand on her arm, she ran around the group to face Sapphire herself. Her moon scepter appeared in her hand.

"Serena, what are you doing?" she heard the cries behind her.

She ignored them, completely focused on the man in front of her. "Your fight is with me, Sapphire. Leave my friends alone."

"As you wish, Serenity." he said as he prepared to launch his attack. "Time for you to die!"

She raised her scepter up. "Moon Scepter…"

"Sailor Moon…Sapphire…please stop! Don't do this!" a voice suddenly called out to them.

**A/N **Aren't I just evil to leave you hanging like this? What can I say? I love suspense. So the boys are back in town and the scouts and Darien aren't too thrilled about it. They all just need to get over it. And who's trying to stop the fight? Hmm…I guess I'll tell you next time. For now, don't forget to review. Catch ya next chapter!

~Sere~


	13. Second Chances

**A/N **Hey everyone! Now before you flog me for making you wait forever for this, let me make my humble plea. (If you read Lunar Princess, you already know this, so feel free to skip it). My schizophrenic black cat, who I am now convinced is demon possessed, thought it would be funny to run under my feet while I was carrying a basket full of laundry down the stairs. Long story short, thanks to that fur ball I had suffered numerous bumps and bruises along with fracturing my right hand in two places. So typing hasn't exactly been easy for me. But the good news is that I'm feeling better and healing nicely. I called in a friend of mine, and between the two of us I think we managed to expel whatever evil presence it was that had taken up residence in my poor kitty. Enough about me. Time for hugs. BIG HUGS TO:

**CharmedSerenity3**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**x (dot) deyaws (dot) x** -I always have trouble your name for reason

**celestialwitch **

**RainSummoner**

**summerrblondae **

**TatianaRomanov**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**Aria Ana (dot)pt**-LOL...I guess word doesn't like dots for some reason

**Alexis Blake**

**Gryffindor-Sword**

**bakagirl123**

**loveinthebattlefield **

**xo Usako ox**

**midnight blue08**

**ange de l'aube**

**SerentiyMoonGodness**

**chimichurri**

**missmyrtlemay **

**Faye Cullen-Fraser**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**alrightscooby**

**Seredhiel05**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**GoldenDragon326**

**samxe**

Holy cow that was a long list, but I love it. Thank you so much for all of the great reviews. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. I'm going to let you read now.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 13

Second Chances

Everyone froze at the sound of the anguished cry that tore through the night air. Sapphire's eyes held a tortured look for a moment before he closed them tightly and shook his head.

"No," he whispered. "It's not possible."

A figure streaked out of the shadows of the trees and practically flew across the grass-covered ground. It hit Sapphire in the side, nearly sending both of them to the ground.

He moaned as he felt arms wrap around his waist and the smell of lilacs reached his nose. "I must be dreaming. This has got to be a dream."

The arms tightened around him and a voice that he thought was lost to him forever whispered to him. "Open your eyes Sapphire. It's me. It's really me."

His eyes slowly opened and he looked down at the jade green hair that was tucked up under his chin. The head rose to reveal the face of the one that he had thought was dead. Someone that he had come to realize meant the world to him.

He reached up a trembling hand and stroked it down her cheek. "Prizma, But how…?"

She gave him a watery smile. "Princess Serenity saved us. She cleansed us of Wiseman's evil power and gave us a fresh start."

He looked at her in awe. "All of you?"

She nodded and pointed back toward the trees where three other women and a man stood watching the scene. "Yes, all of us. We now have a chance at a new life here on Earth. Wiseman has been playing us all. He never wanted us to have a peaceful union with the people of Earth. He's manipulating your brother so that he can take over and destroy the planet."

Sapphire sighed deeply. "I know, Prizma. I have tried to speak to Diamond about this, but he's so stubborn. He has become convinced that the only way to secure a peaceful future for us is to change the events here in the past. His obsession of the queen has taken him over and I can't make him see reason."

"Uh, excuse us, but what the hell is going on?" a voice interrupted.

The two turned to meet the flashing gaze of Sailor Mars. She was watching both of them with a look that bordered on disbelief.

Sailor Jupiter stepped up next to her. "No kidding. I can understand blue haired dude being here, but didn't we beat those other freaks a few days ago?"

Mercury had pulled out her computer and was busy scanning the information on the screen. "Yes we did. I don't understand this. My computer can't come up with any logical answer. It doesn't make sense. We all saw Sailor Moon destroy them."

Venus stared at the still embracing couple with stars in her eyes. "I don't care if they are the bad guys. This is just too sweet for words." She clasped her hands together at her chest and let out a breathy sigh.

Jupiter rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Ditz."

Sailor Moon giggled nervously. "Look guys, I know this is confusing right now, but I promise I'll explain everything later."

"Ah ha!" Mars shrieked. "I should have known that you had something to do with this, you Meatball Head. First you go behind our backs and bring back the gruesome foursome." She waved a hand carelessly in the direction of where the generals were still standing next to Tuxedo Mask with confused expressions on their faces. "And now we find out that the enemies that we thought we had already defeated are still alive. What else are you hiding from us?"

"Raye, please." Sailor Moon begged her. "I'm sorry that you found out this way, but I promise that there is a good explanation for the reason why I've done all of this."

You could almost see steam pouring from the raven-haired priestess's ears. "Sorry? You say you're sorry? Let me tell you one thing, Serena. If you were anyone other than my princess, I would roast your ass on a spit. I thought we were best friends. Well best friends don't keep secrets like this!"

She spun away on a crimson high heel and walked several yards away, but not before everyone saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Jadeite took a step toward her, but stopped with a sigh and a shake of his head.

Sailor Mercury saw the mist of tears in her princess's eyes as well and flipped her computer shut. "I'll go talk to her. She just needs a few minutes to cool down. You know how she is."

Sailor Moon nodded and then turned back to where Sapphire was still standing with Prizma. Rubeus, Katzy, Avery, and Bertie had come over to join them. "So where do we stand now?" she asked him. "I can tell that you have a lot of anger in you, but you don't strike me as being the evil sort."

"Sapphire," Prizma whispered softly, "let Sailor Moon heal you. We have a chance to live the life that we always wanted. And I…I want you to stay with me."

His eyes widened at her confession and then saddened. "I can't Prizma. He's my brother and he needs me. I can't leave him alone like that. I have to convince him somehow that Wiseman is not our ally. Maybe once this mess is behind us I can give this new life a try."

Tears sparkled in her eyes, but she nodded her head slowly. "I understand. I would feel the same way if it were one of my sisters being held by that madman. But promise me that you'll be careful. I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

Rubeus clapped him on the shoulder. "We're all here for you, Sapphire. No matter what happens, we're still a family. If you need us for anything, let us know."

"Same here." Sailor Moon told him. "After spending some time with Diamond, I've come to see how confused he really is. If there's anything I can do to help…"

Sapphire looked at her with gratitude. "Thank you, Sailor Moon. You may not believe this, but my brother wasn't always so ruthless. There was a time when he was the most gentle and caring person I knew. But he changed after Wiseman appeared. Be careful, princess. Diamond has become obsessed with you, and I'm not sure how far he's willing to go to get his hands on you."

"That will be over my dead body." Tuxedo Mask growled as he wrapped his arms around Sailor Moon's waist.

Sapphire pinned the reincarnated earth prince with serious eyes. "Diamond would be more than happy to arrange that. As a matter of fact, you have the honor of being in the number one spot on his hit list. His jealousy is slowly eating him alive, and he sees you as being the main obstacle standing between him and Serenity."

"I don't know who this psycho is, but if he wants to get to our prince or the princess he'll have to go through us first." Kunzite stated as he took his rightful place at his prince's side. The other generals, who nodded their agreement, followed him.

"Oh please," Venus scoffed, "A five year old could make it past you four. We sailor scouts are more than capable of keeping the two of them safe. We don't need your help."

Silver eyes narrowed on the blonde goddess. "We generals will stand by our vow."

"Hah" Jupiter snickered. "Like we haven't heard that one before. Today you say you're on our side, but tomorrow you may be working for the enemy. I think I'd rather take my chances going at it alone rather than take the risk of having another sword shoved through my stomach."

"Guys, please, stop." Sailor Moon said softly, rubbing her temples as she felt the beginnings of a headache coming on.

Nephrite paid no attention to the plea as he glared at Jupiter. "Do you honestly think I would have ever done that to you? What will it take to get it through your thick head that that wasn't me?"

There was a blur of blue, and suddenly a furious Sailor Mercury was in the fray. "Don't you dare talk to her like that, you overgrown bully. I bet Lita has more brains in her pinky fingernail than you have in your entire body."

"Amy, calm down." Zoicite pleaded with her. "There's no sense in getting so worked up." He reached out to try and touch her hand.

His hand was knocked away by another one that scorched his skin like fire. He looked up to be confronted by raging violet eyes.

"Don't you touch her." Sailor Mars ground out. "She has every right to be upset if she wants to. Just stay away from her."

Jadeite was suddenly in her way. "Take a chill pill, hothead. He wasn't trying to do anything to her."

She shoved him back with surprising strength. "Don't you dare even speak to me, you asshole. I can't even stand the sight of you. You make me sick."

Sailor Moon watched helplessly as the situation deteriorated, silent tears sliding down her cheeks. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings, she didn't even realize when Sapphire disappeared or the four sisters and Rubeus took their leave. All she saw and heard were her best friends acting like they were about to kill each other.

'_Where did I go wrong?' _her voice whispered inside her head. _'I never meant for things to turn out like this.'_

Surprisingly, a voice answered her. _'Well what did you expect, Serena? You had to have known that there would be some animosity.'_

'_Oh great! Now I'm hearing voices in my head. I really am going crazy.'_

There was the sound of light laughter. _'I know it may seem like it, but I hate to break it to you kid, you're just as sane as everybody else.'_

She almost chuckled. _'Okay, not insane voice in my head, who are you and what are you doing here?'_

'_I'm you, Serena, at least in a way. I know things seem really messed up right now, I just thought I'd give you some reassurance. You seemed a little down.'_

"_A little down? That's the understatement of the year. My best friends are mad at me because I brought the generals back to help us. I have a psycho who's obsessed with me that wants to kidnap me and kill my boyfriend. And to top it all off, I'm not even sure how said boyfriend feels right now since he's not too happy with some of the things I've done recently either.'_

'_Well he's holding you right now, isn't he?' _the voice said smugly. _'I would think that is a clear indication that he cares for you. But that's my Endymion for you. He has always had a hard time putting his feelings into words.'_

'_Hold up! I know you said you're me and all, but he's my Darien, not your Endymion. And you don't have to tell me about how he handles his emotions, I'm well aware of how he is.'_

Sailor Moon heard something that sounded like a disdainful sniff. _'Well there's no need to get snippy. I was just trying to make a point. And by the way, you and your little prince may want to separate the boys from the girls before there's bloodshed. Great Selene, you would think that they would know how to behave themselves after being apart for a thousand years. Of course, they've always been a spirited bunch and always will be.'_

'_Wait a minute. What do you mean by "They always will be"? Am I missing something here?'_

'It's not important right now, Serena. Maybe we can talk again later, but for now I have to go. I would suggest getting Mars and Jupiter calmed down before the fire and thunderbolts start flying.'

"Huh" Sailor Moon murmured, as she seemed to snap out of a daze. A quick look around showed her that the argument between the scouts and generals had quickly escalated. If something wasn't done soon, it had the potential to turn violent.

Kunzite was holding Venus's wrist in a tight grip. It looked as if had caught it when the blonde had tried to slap him. Jupiter had somehow managed to maneuver Nephrite into a headlock, and his face was turning crimson from the lack of air. Mars and Jadeite were in what seemed to be a standoff. Flames were smoldering at the irate priestess's fingertips. Even the usually quiet Mercury could be heard screaming, as she got right up in the face of an equally angry Zoicite.

Sailor Moon heaved a sigh as she looked over her shoulder at Tuxedo Mask where he was still standing behind her. "Just like old times, isn't it? I guess we should break them up."

Tuxedo Mask tore his eyes away from the disbelieving sight to look at the petite blonde in his arms. His trademark smirk turned up his lips. "Aw, do we have to? It was actually starting to get interesting."

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Yes Darien, we have to. I don't like seeing my friends trying to tear each other to shreds. Not to mention the fact that the scouts look like they have been bumped and banged around a bit. Those scratches on Mina's back look particularly painful and I'm sure they need to be looked at."

A look of concern crossed his face. "You're right. She did hit that tree pretty hard. All right, I guess I'll head off the guys while you corral the girls."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go get them."

Holding hands, they made their way cautiously toward their battling friends.

"That is enough!" Sailor Moon yelled in her most commanding voice. "Scouts, stand down, now!"

"The same goes for you generals as well." Tuxedo Mask declared, sounding very much like his past self. "We're not accomplishing anything by all of this fighting."

At the sound of the orders issued by the prince and princess, all of the scuffling stopped and the combatants stepped away from each other. They were all still eying each other warily, but at least they weren't trying to murder each other any more.

"Much better." Sailor Moon said with a satisfied grin. "There's a lot that I would like to say to all of you right now, but it's late and we all have school tomorrow. So I suggest that we all go home and try to get some rest. After school I'm calling a meeting at Juuban Park. This will be a mandatory meeting for my scouts, so I don't want to hear any excuses."

Next to her, Tuxedo Mask sighed. "This meeting will be mandatory for the generals as well. I must admit that these are unusual circumstances that have thrown us together again, but if we keep fighting among ourselves we won't stand a chance against the enemy."

Mumbles and a few muttered curses were heard from the group, but slowly all eight heads nodded their acceptance. It wasn't like they really had a choice. When the prince or princess gave an order, they were honor bound to follow it.

A wide smile appeared on Sailor Moon's face. "Good. Now that we have that settled, I'm heading home. My nice comfy bed is calling my name."

She looked shyly at Tuxedo Mask. "Care to see me home?"

He grinned at her before sweeping her up into his arms. "It would be my pleasure."

He jumped up high into the trees, and in moments the two royals had disappeared from sight.

Kunzite shook his head. "Is it wise to let the two of them just take off like that by themselves? I'm not that worried about Endymion, he can take care of himself. But Serenity is a different story."

Venus chuckled. "Don't let her fool you. She may have been a shy, sheltered princess in the past, but Serena is different. She's a fighter. And in this life she has saved our lives and protected us far more than we have her."

There was a moment of awkward silence as they all realized that words had just been exchanged between the opposing sides without the screaming and the pain filled voices. They all looked around, unsure of what the next move would be.

Mercury finally broke the moment. "Come on, let's go home. Mina, I'll follow you to your place. I want to take a look at your back. I know it will be mostly healed by morning, but those cuts should still be cleaned to keep infection from setting in."

Kunzite frowned as he realized how stiffly the orange clad warrior was holding herself. "Are you going to be okay?"

She gave him a weak smile and flashed her V sign. "It's nothing that a few hours of sleep won't cure. Don't worry General Kunzite, I'll be ready to take you on in our next battle. Let's go girls."

The four guys watched as the scouts all turned and walked away. Once they were out of hearing range, Jadeite elbowed Kunzite in the ribs.

"Well, well, you sly dog," he drawled. "You're not wasting any time getting back into the fair Venus's affections, are you?"

Nephrite smacked him upside the head. "Like you have any room to talk. I swear you must be a closet masochist. You almost looked like you would have been happy to let Mars catch you on fire."

Jadeite's face reddened. "Oh yeah? Well at least I wasn't the one who looked like I was getting turned on while getting choked. Granted, your face was pressed pretty close to Jupiter's chest. But I would think that the need to breathe would overrule your hormones."

Zoicite sighed dreamily. "I had forgotten how beautiful Mercury could be when she looses her temper."

Kunzite shook his head. "Come on, you love drunk idiots, let's go home."

_**(meanwhile, not too far away)**_

"Honestly, Mina," Mars fumed. "Do you really have to flirt with every guy that has the misfortune of stumbling into your path? He's practically an enemy."

The golden haired scout had the good grace to look sheepish. "Sorry. But I couldn't help myself. One look into his eyes, and I felt like I was drowning."

Jupiter had a starry look in her eyes. "I know what you mean. I had forgotten how imposing Nephrite was. I can't even begin to compare him to my old boyfriend. He's in a class all to himself."

"Argh, I can't believe you traitors!" Mars exclaimed heatedly. "How can you fall for them again so easily? They're not even worth the dirt under our shoes."

Venus smirked at her. "Then why were you getting so hot and bothered about being so close to Jadeite? Don't lie. I saw the way you were checking him out."

The raven-haired girl sputtered. "I was not checking him out! I detest that little worm. Amy, you agree with me on this, right?"

The scout of ice just mumbled something incoherent under her breath as she blushed madly and looked away from the prying eyes.

Mars threw her hands up in the air, "That's it! I give up on all of you."

_**(back at the scene of the fight)**_

The two people perched high up on a shadowy branch of a tall tree finally let out the laughter they had been holding back for the last several minutes.

"They really are worse than five year olds sometimes, aren't they?" Sailor Moon gasped as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes.

Her shadowy companion propped his chin on her shoulder as he chuckled. "Don't sound so surprised, Serena. You knew what they were like before you released them from those stones."

She huffed indignantly. "Well it wasn't my idea. But maybe you're not interested in the story since you keep cutting me off and not letting me tell you what happened."

His arms tightened around her as he pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. I admit that I jumped the gun earlier. I should have given you a chance to explain everything before making my own conclusions. Will you tell me now?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'll tell you the whole story once we get back to my place. I want to check on Rini first. I'm afraid she'll get worried if she wakes up and I'm not there."

Tuxedo Mask picked her up bridal style and gave her a quick kiss. "Your wish is my command."

* * *

Sapphire stood outside the doors to his brother's throne room and took a deep, steadying breath. He wasn't sure what kind of a greeting he would receive from Diamond. That would depend on how much his brother had observed the recent battle. Stiffening his resolve, he pushed open the door and stepped through into a surprisingly empty room.

Diamond was nowhere to be seen, but the softly glowing hologram of Neo Queen Serenity and an empty wine glass pointed to the fact that the besotted prince had been here recently.

Sapphire slumped down in a chair; the thoughts of all that occurred on this night were still whirling through his head. He was still in a state of shock. It seemed almost unbelievable that Prizma and the others were still alive and not dead as he had thought. If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have never dreamed that it was possible.

While growing up on Nemesis he had always heard the stories of the beautiful and benevolent queen that ruled the Earth from the sanctuary of her crystal palace. He had been ecstatic when his brother had come up with the idea of approaching the king and queen of Crystal Tokyo and asking for permission for their clan to be able to live on that vibrant planet, away from the dark and desolate surroundings of Nemesis.

Things had seemed to be going well. Serenity and Endymion had honored their request for a meeting, and preparations were being made to travel to Earth. Then Wiseman had appeared. Overnight Diamond had changed. His caring and compassionate nature had turned into aloof coolness. He no longer smiled his warm smile; instead he always seemed to wear a self satisfying smirk.

His plans had seemed to remain the same, however, and Sapphire had accompanied his brother and Rubeus to keep their appointment with the Earth's monarchs. The sights and sounds that had greeted them when they arrived had entranced him. The busy, bustling city coupled with the surrounding grassy fields and forests had really made it seem like the paradise he had always heard of.

He had not been disappointed when they reached the palace either. The king and queen had come out personally to greet them upon their arrival, and both seemed to live up to their reputations. It was easy to see why the people of earth adored them. The king seemed distant at first, but it soon became apparent that he was a fair and just ruler. The queen, on the other hand, was alluring and vivacious. She wielded her authority with a kind and generous nature.

Sapphire had high hopes for these negotiations and could already picture himself living in this thriving mecca. They had dined that night with the royals and their guard, and had even met the young princess, affectionately called Small Lady, for a brief moment. Plans were made for them to all convene in the morning in order to start ironing out the plans for a possible treaty between the Earth and Nemesis.

The meeting had been a disaster. Diamond had spent the whole time staring at Serenity with hungry eyes and didn't pay any attention to what was going on around him. Rubeus had sat in with the group as well, but hadn't been any help since he just sat there looking around boredly. Luckily Sapphire had been in on the planning of the whole event and stepped up to fill in for his brother.

The negotiations were long and tiring. They had taken a break for lunch, and hoped to conclude the business afterward. After grabbing a light meal from the buffet in the dining hall, Sapphire had returned to the conference room, eager to wrap this up.

He had been sitting there for a few minutes when Diamond had walked in with a mischievous smile on his face. It immediately set off warning bells in his head.

Diamond leaned back in a chair with a dazed look on his face and sighed. "Beautiful."

Sapphire shot him a look of annoyance. "Yes, the planet is beautiful, and I would like very much to be able to call it my home. So maybe you could get your head on straight for a few minutes and help me out here."

Those cool lavender eyes blinked several times before turning on his younger brother with a look of amusement. "You thought I was talking about the planet? It's nice and all, but I have found something that will make living here that much more enjoyable. Who knows what might happen. I am royalty too. Maybe one day I will be king."

A shiver raced down the younger prince's spine. "What have you done, Diamond?"

In answer to that question, the doors to the conference room flew open to reveal a murderous looking King Endymion. He stalked into the room pulling a weeping Serenity behind him by the hand. Sapphire stood quickly in alarm, barely in time to get out of the way as the enraged king lunged across the table to haul Diamond up by the front of his shirt.

"You bastard!" Endymion growled. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't smash your face in right now. I should beat you to a pulp and leave you to bleed to death on the ground."

Diamond had the nerve to smirk at him. "What's the matter, jealous? Maybe you should learn to keep a closer eye on what you consider to be yours. Such a rare and precious jewel shouldn't be left alone and unattended. Someone may just decide to steal it away from you."

"Why you…" Endymion ground out as he pulled back a fist, preparing to deliver on his threat.

"Endy, stop!" Serenity exclaimed, grabbing his arm and holding on to it for dear life. "Don't lower yourself down to his level. He's not worth it."

Endymion cut a look at his wife before sighing and throwing Diamond back into his chair. He was still shaking in fury, but it seemed that he was bending to his wife's request.

Diamond chuckled as he straightened his shirt. "Really, Endymion, are you so weak that you can't stand up to me like a man? I guess it's a good thing that your wife intervened so elegantly on your behalf. She really is a treasure."

Endymion growled and took a menacing step toward the fair-haired prince. But before either of them could blink, a golden blur was between them.

Serenity slammed both of her hands down on the table and glared at Diamond with outright fury and indignation burning in her eyes. "Listen to me, you pathetic worm, Endymion is ten times the man you could ever hope to be. Now I'm giving you ten minutes to get your sorry ass out of my palace and off of my planet. And I better not ever see you here again. Selene help you if I do. Now go before I lose my temper."

So they had hastily left Earth in their ship. Diamond had been in a trancelike state the entire trip back to Nemesis. The only thing he would do was sit and whisper over and over, "Those eyes. Those wonderful, beautiful eyes. She is indeed a goddess."

Sapphire had never found out what exactly happened that day at the Crystal Palace. All Diamond had ever told him was that he had found that Serenity and Endymion were not what they had appeared to be. By then, Wiseman's dark influence had begun to affect him as well, so he just accepted his brother's excuse and had thrown himself into the plans for conquering the earth.

But over the last several weeks he had started to question the logic of his decision. He had been watching his brother and Wiseman carefully. And the more he observed, the more he could sense that Wiseman was the one really calling the shots while Diamond was suffering under the illusion that he was in control.

Being around Sailor Moon tonight had brought all of his doubts crashing down around him. Just like her future self had, she seemed honest and sincere. And why would she use the precious energy to cleanse and heal her enemies if she wasn't a good person?

Feeling confused by his conflicting emotions, Sapphire pushed himself up from his seat. He needed to find Diamond, now. They were seriously overdue for a long, brotherly heart to heart.

As if his mind had conjured him up, a slight breeze blew through the room as Diamond shimmered into existence. The normally impeccably groomed prince looked shabby and disheveled. His clothes were wrinkled and had the look of being hastily thrown on. Closer inspection showed that his shirt wasn't even buttoned properly. His silvery white hair stuck out around his head in rumpled, tangled clumps.

Sapphire watched with narrowed eyes as his brother weaved his way unsteadily across the room to his empty wine glass. Sapphire waited until Diamond had taken a seat and he had lifted his magically filled glass of wine to his lips before making his presence known.

"Having a good evening, brother?" Sapphire asked snidely as he stepped out from the shadows of the room.

Diamond looked around as if confused as to where the voice had come from for a few moments until he managed to focus bleary, dilated eyes on the person in front of him.

"Oh, Sapphire, I didn't know you were back yet." he slurred. "How did everything go? Were you able to destroy those wimpy scouts and that pathetic prince?"

Rage bubbled up inside Sapphire as he longed to spill out everything that had happened. But he wisely held his tongue. Diamond was clearly in no condition to comprehend anything at the moment. And until he got the answers he was looking for, he didn't want to put Prizma and the others in any danger either.

He curled his lip up in disgust. "You mean you don't already know? That's not like you. You usually watch all of the battles with interest."

Diamond choked out a snorting laugh. "I was…a little…distracted tonight."

It was now Sapphire's turn to snort. "Well that's pretty obvious. I can smell her on you from here. Tell me brother, how many glasses of wine does it take before your mind becomes so clouded that you don't even know who you're sleeping with?"

Diamond let out a sad sigh as he looked forlornly at the hologram of Neo Queen Serenity. "More and more I'm afraid. She haunts me. I can never seem to get her image out of my head. Even when I sleep, she is there, tempting me."

Sapphire's temper snapped. "Did you ever stop to think that you bring a lot of it on yourself? You sit around for hours on end staring at her image. You have spent weeks stalking her past self, acting like a fool to even spend one moment in her presence. It's no wonder you can't get her out of your head. You have fueled this obsession with Serenity until it has completely taken you over. To the point that you have to use another woman to try to rid yourself of the frustrations it causes."

Diamond threw back his head and laughed. "Me, use Emerald? Not hardly. That woman is so desperate to be with me that I don't even have to ask. She gives it willingly."

Sapphire stared in shock at the man who was supposed to be his brother, looking for something to show him that he was still the same person under the shell he had become. Unfortunately, he couldn't even find a glimmer of the man Diamond had once been.

"What happened to you?" Sapphire whispered. "What made you change so much? You are not the same person you used to be. What happened to my kind brother that hoped to unite with the Earth to give our people a better life?"

Diamond's laugh was hollow. "I had my eyes opened for me, Sapphire. Everyone thinks that Crystal Tokyo is some sort of fairytale paradise. But I see it now for what it is. It's nothing more than an illusion so that the people don't see how their lives are really being controlled. It's all about the power. I don't blame Serenity though. It's not her fault. It's all because of that damn Endymion. Somehow he trapped her into a relationship and now he uses her power to feed his lust for control. She doesn't deserve that."

Sapphire shook his head as images of the king and queen danced through his head. There had not seemed to be anything forced about their relationship, quite the contrary actually. The two had seemed to share a genuine affection and seemed to be completely devoted to one another. The scenario that Diamond was describing just didn't make sense.

"Brother," he began hesitantly. "What happened that day in Crystal Tokyo? What happened to make the king and queen so mad that they kicked us off the planet without a second thought?"

Diamond's eyes drooped shut as he sighed. "I was walking down the hall and there she was. The sunlight seemed to bathe her and it transformed her into an angel. It was like a fire burning deep inside of me. I just had to see if those lips were as soft as they appeared, and they were. They felt just like the smoothest of satin."

Sapphire gaped, horrified. "You kissed the queen? How could you?"

Of course this cleared up a lot of things. It explained Endymion's murderous rage and Serenity's short temper. While Diamond may have enjoyed the kiss, it was pretty obvious that the queen didn't reciprocate his feelings.

He growled. "What were you thinking, Diamond?"

A soft snore was all the answer he received. Diamond had passed out, slumped against the side of his throne. All of the wine he had consumed seemed to have finally caught up with him.

Sapphire was grateful. He needed some time to think about what his brother had told him. He also needed to come up with what he was going to tell him about tonight's fight. As much as he felt like helping Sailor Moon out, he would have to inform Diamond about the presence of those four new warriors that had shown up with her tonight.

He walked over to a computer console, and after pressing a few keys he was able to bring up an image of the battle. He swiftly went through the images, cutting out the parts he didn't want Diamond to see, especially those of Prizma and the others. If Diamond knew they were still alive, he would probably go after them and kill them himself for what he would believe to be treason.

He also altered the conversation between himself and Sailor Moon to make it look like they had a heated exchange of words before he teleported away. It was too early in the game for him to show that he was starting to suspect that Sailor Moon was the one who held freedom and salvation for their people. He just hoped that there was a way to convince Diamond of this.

* * *

The red, low-slung machine purred to a stop in the almost empty parking lot near the deserted picnic tables in the park. The only other vehicle to be seen was a large, black pickup truck. The doors to the car swung open and people began falling out like clowns do at the circus.

Arms and legs were flying and muffled grunts and complaints filled the air.

"Ouch, Lita, get your elbow out of my stomach."

"You're one to talk, Mina. Your fat ass is sitting on my hair."

"Could you please get off my back, Raye?"

"Oops. Sorry Amy. I thought you were the Meatball Head."

"No. I'm the one on the bottom. Now all of you get off of me. Darien, heeelp!"

The tall, dark haired boy chuckled as he got out from behind the steering wheel and walked around the car to survey the mountain of teenage girls lying on the pavement. "Do you girls need a hand?"

Lita glared at him. "Screw you, Shields. You don't have to sound so condescending. Hell yeah we need a hand."

Two more chuckles were heard as Kyle and Nick walked over, having just exited the parked pickup.

Nick elbowed Kyle in the ribs. "Not often that we get to see the formidable scouts at such a disadvantage, is it?"

Kyle looked at the squirming mound, his silver gaze locking on Mina's sky blue one. He smirked in amusement. "You're right, my friend, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Mina growled. "Very funny. As long as you're here, why don't you do something useful like helping us up?"

"Of course." Kyle said as he reached out a hand to Mina. She hesitated for a moment before laying her hand gently in his.

Lita hesitated for a moment as well before taking Nick's proffered hand in a tight grip and allowed herself to be pulled up to her feet.

Raye scrambled off the pile quickly and stood on her own, ignoring the complaints of the two girls that had been trapped under her.

Darien pulled Amy into a standing position before reaching back down and scooping the petite blonde that had been trapped on the bottom into his arms. He set her on the hood of the car. His whole body was shaking with repressed laughter.

Serena frowned as she rubbed the tender tip of her nose that had been ground into the concrete by the weight of four larger teenage girls landing on her back. Then she glared up at her severely amused boyfriend.

"Are you laughing at me?" she hissed. "You are, aren't you? I swear Shields, every time I think you might have possibly gotten rid of that attitude impediment of yours, you prove me wrong by having a relapse."

Darien smirked at her. "Ooo, I'm impressed Meatball Head. That sentence had a lot of big words in it that I had no idea you even knew, much less what they meant or how to use them in a sentence."

She jumped up from the car and put her hands on her hips, trying her best to look intimidating. But at her diminutive height of 5'2", Darien towered over her by a full twelve inches.

She stomped a foot and her eyes snapped. "Why are you picking on me all of a sudden? What did I do to deserve this?"

Darien was horrified as he saw her china blue eyes begin to fill with tears. He quickly pulled her into a hug and kissed the reddened tip of her nose. "I'm sorry Sere. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just teasing."

Serena suddenly laughed and pushed him away. "Oh my god, I can't believe you fell for that. I wish you could have seen the look on your face. That was priceless."

An evil chuckle came from Mina. She clutched an orange cell phone tightly in her hand. "Don't worry, thanks to the wonderful invention of the camera phone, I've managed to freeze that moment in time for all eternity."

Darien gulped. "You took my picture?"

The rest of the girls began crowding around her, cracking up as they saw the picture of the prince with a shell-shocked expression on his face. Kyle and Nick tried to get a look, but the girls closed rank, refusing them even the tiniest peek.

The sound of squealing tires caught everyone's attention, and they turned to see a car speeding toward them a breakneck speed. The driver slammed on the brakes and cut the wheel sharply, allowing the car to screech to a halt in a cloud of smoke.

It was a black two-seater with dark tinted windows and shiny chrome wheels. Flames in red, orange, and yellow had been custom painted down the sides and the car just seemed to scream money.

The passenger door opened and a weak and shaky looking Zack stumbled out of the car. The poor guy definitely was looking a little green around the gills.

The driver's side door flew open to reveal a grinning, bouncing figure. He tore off the ball cap he was wearing and tossed it back inside along with the dark sunglasses that he had been wearing. His recently uncovered golden blonde waves danced brightly in the breeze.

"Wow Jake, subtle entrance." Kyle grumbled sarcastically.

The sarcasm didn't seem to have any effect on Jake. He answered happily, "Hey, you know my motto. 'If you've got it, flaunt it.' And I've definitely got it."

"Oh please, spare me." Raye croaked, making gagging sounds. "The only thing he has is an over inflated ego, and nobody's interested in being exposed to that."

An evil grin crossed Jake's face, and in the blink of an eye he had reached Raye's side and had flung an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Firefly. You know you love me. Now where's my kiss?" He puckered up his lips.

"Eww!" Raye screeched as she pushed him away. She hurriedly hid behind Lita. "As if! I would rather kiss a hyena's butt! At least it would look and smell better."

Jake clasped his hands together at his chest in a dramatic fashion. "Oh, how love can hurt. Nothing can cut straight to the heart faster than rejection from one's lover."

Nick smacked him on the head and gave Lita a sly wink. "Knock it off, drama queen. I know for a fact that the only person of the female gender that has anything to do with you is your mother. And she only does that out of pity because you're her only son. Now what did you do to poor Zack? He looks like he's about to lose his lunch."

Zack looked up from where he was leaning up against a tree. His green gaze met Amy's blue one for a moment, and he straightened up. "I'm fine. But I promise you; I'm never riding with him again. I saw my life flash before my eyes more than once during that little trip. I still can't believe we made it here in one piece."

Jake shrugged. "Hey, I offered the ride. You didn't have to take it, you know."

Zack was beginning to look irritated. "How was I supposed to know that you were going to go crazy behind the wheel? I've ridden with you before and you didn't drive like that."

Jake ran a hand lovingly over the car. "I just got this baby back from the shop. I was just stretching her wings a little bit. Anyhow, what did we miss?"

Kyle shook his head. "Nothing much really. We just had to help dismantle a sailor scout sandwich. Then our illustrious prince over there decided to pick a fight with our dear Serena. There was a funny moment that Mina here managed to catch on camera, but now she's being cruel and refuses to share it with the rest of the class."

Zack cocked his head to the side. "Maybe I'm missing the obvious, but a sailor scout sandwich?"

Amy giggled, causing all eyes to turn to her. She blushed brightly before muttering. "Well you see, Darien's car is only meant to hold four people, and we had six crammed in there. It was a very tight and awkward squeeze. So when we opened the door to get out, we were all kind of tangled up and ended up falling on the ground."

Oh, I see." Jake said with growing comprehension. "A bunch of hot girls in skirts writhing together on the ground. Did anyone think to get a picture of that?"

"PERVERT!" Raye screamed, launching herself at Jake. Lita easily plucked her back by the waist and held her still while Nick smacked Jake upside the head again.

"Anyway'" Kyle broke in, "I'm sure we have more important things to talk about." He leaned over to whisper in Mina's ear, "Even though I would still like to see that picture. It's not often that the prince is caught in an undignified situation."

Mina smiled slyly at him. "Maybe I will let you take a peek, on one condition."

"And what would that be?" he asked leaning forward expectantly.

She pushed him back with a grin. "You'll have to catch me and my phone first."

She shot away in a blur of movement. After a stunned moment, Kyle took off after her.

"Whoo, go Mina!" Lita cheered.

Mina squeaked when she realized that Kyle was catching up to her fast. "Lita, go long." And she threw the phone to the brunette.

Lita easily plucked the phone from the air, but when she turned she found herself face to face with Nick.

He eyed her up and down with a smirk. "Okay, be a good little lightning bug and hand it over."

"Lita, I'm open." a voice called, and Lita spotted Raye over Nick's shoulder. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the phone sailing toward the scout of fire.

Raye caught it in a death grip, just in time for Jake to sneak up behind her and purr, "I've got you now, my pretty. Of course, I would be willing to let you keep the phone in exchange for something else." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Raye wanted to be outraged, but surprisingly a laugh left her. "In your dreams, buster."

She took off running, making sure to take a path that would lead her right by Amy. The blue haired genius was shocked to find the cell phone in question in her hand after Raye and Jake had flown by. She stared down at the item and then glanced up at Zack.

He began to grin. "It looks like we have been pulled into the game as well, my little ice sprite." Then he lunged for her.

Amy gave a startled yelp and sprinted away, somehow managing to pass the phone back to Mina, who had eluded Kyle for the moment.

So the game of keep away continued. The participants were completely oblivious of the couple that sat on the hood of the car, watching them closely.

"This is going better than I thought it would." Darien said softly with his lips close to Serena's ear.

Serena suppressed a shiver at sensations his voice and lips elicited from her. "Yeah, it is. It's not exactly how we planned on getting them to interact with each other. But hey, it works."

They watched the eight teenagers running around chasing each other like five year olds on the playground, grinning when they heard the curses become laughter. Maybe there was hope that the closeness that the ten of them had shared during the Silver Millennium could be recaptured. It would definitely make them a powerful opposing force against any enemy.

"I still can't believe you laughed at me because I hurt my nose." Serena grouched as she gently touched the tender area. "I knew that you would throw in some insult about my supposed lack of intelligence. But to laugh at someone else's pain is just plain mean."

Darien held her close and kissed the top of her head. "Hey, I said I was sorry. But you looked so cute with your face scrunched up like that that I couldn't help myself. Anyhow, it was your idea to stage a little…disagreement between us to break the ice with the others."

Serena reached up and pecked his cheek. "I forgive you. I was just messing with you anyway. I knew you didn't mean any of it."

Darien growled as he saw Mina snatch the phone from Lita. "Maybe I should go out there and give it a try. I would love to get my hands on that phone for about ten seconds. There's no telling what that picture looks like, and I don't trust Mina to not do something crazy like post it on the school's website or something."

Serena patted his cheek. "There, there, poor baby. I know you have a reputation to uphold. I won't let that mean, old Mina do anything with any embarrassing photos of you. Luckily she leaves her phone lying around a lot. So I'll make sure to delete it the first chance I get."

She began giggling softly. "Of course that will be after I take a good look at it to see if looks anything like the original. That was so classic. You looked just like a dying fish."

Darien gave her a mock glare. "A dying fish, huh?"

Her giggles broke into full-blown laughter. "I…I'm sorry…hee hee…but that was the… funniest face I've ever…ha ha…seen you make."

"Funny, huh? I show you funny." Darien growled as began attacking his girlfriend's highly ticklish ribs.

So as the sun began to sink low into the Tokyo afternoon sky, and the sounds of merriment and laughter rang throughout the secluded corner of Juuban Park, all seemed right in the world at the moment. Of course they all knew that it was just the calm before the storm. But they all decided to grab the peaceful moment and run with it. They knew that it wouldn't last.

If only they knew what awaited them. If they only knew that on an undetected ship that was orbiting the Earth an obsessed prince was plotting ways to steal away their princess; while in another room, a dark hooded figure was gazing into a crystal ball at a vision of a little girl with soft pink pigtails.

Oh yes, they both had plans. Plans that could rip the planet to shreds, and with it change the course of history and alter the future.

**A/N **So that's what I've got for now. I apologize again for the delay in updating. Looks like things might be starting to work out for the scouts and then generals. I really like writing interactions between them. If you haven't noticed, Jadeite's my fave out of the generals. I've always pictured him being a prankster, at least when he's not brainwashed. But my fave couple after Serena and Darien has to be Mina and Kunzite. In my mind they have an intense relationship. I also enjoyed getting inside Sapphire's head a little bit. I love a complex character, and that boy is major screwed up right now. Perfect for me to play around with. And Diamond's a womanizing drunk! Ha! Serves Emerald right to go slumming with him. I never did like her. Way too annoying. Anyhow, don't forget to tell me what you think. I absolutely, positively adore reviews!!! Catch ya later!

~Sere~


	14. Just Kiss Her Already

**A/N **Hey everyone! I've got a semi long chapter here for you. It was originally two chapters, but I compressed them into one. There are some aww moments between Darien and Rini in this chapter and some mention of sexual tension. I know our favorite couple are only 16 and 17 in this story, but let's face it, we all have either been teens at one point or still are, and their thoughts certainly wander on occasion. Furthermore, this story takes place in Japan and laws are different there. The national legal age for consent in Japan is 13 (WOW!), but each prefecture makes their own laws that overrule the national law. A lot of them set the age at 16, so I'm using that in this story. But never fear, I'm keeping this fairly clean. There may be some make out sessions and some other situations, but this will remain T rated. Okay, time for me to give out hugs. BIG HUGS TO:

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**Seredhiel05**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x **

**midnight blue08**

**chimichurri**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**GoldenDragon326**

**ange de l'aube**

**xo Usako ox**

**ElisabethBoleyn**

**RainSummoner**

**SerenaDoll**

**merangelgal**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**thegolden1**

I think I got everyone…LOL. Anyhow, I'm going to let you get down to reading. Oh, and to my Lunar Princess readers, the epilogue is almost ready for posting. I've just got a few things to sort out with it and I'm trying to decide which scenes I want to pull from The Galactic Trinity to give you a taste of what's coming next in that saga. Okay, I'm shutting up.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 14

Just Kiss Her Already

Serena sighed as she stared up at the cloudless blue sky. On the outside she may have seemed totally relaxed, enjoying the warm afternoon breeze after a long day at school. But on the inside she was screaming at the top of her lungs as she tried to unravel the threads of what had suddenly become a complicated life. She closed her eyes with another sigh.

Okay, so her life had been totally screwed up for the last eight months, but up until now it hadn't been anything she couldn't handle. She had fought monsters, evil negaverse generals, and a psychotic, self-proclaimed queen that was possessed by a power hungry demon that wanted to take over the world. She had found out that she was a reincarnated princess, had her worst enemy turn out to be the love of her life, watched him get kidnapped and brainwashed to fight against her, seen all of her friends and him die right in front of her, died herself and been reborn with all of them only to lose her memory. She'd had a pink haired kid from the future fall from the sky right on top of her, had her heart broken, and had to deal with a potential mind controlling stalker before finally getting her memories back in time to face a new enemy. Had she forgotten anything?

All of that seemed like a cakewalk compared to what was going on in her life now. Never in a million years had she thought that she, happy go lucky Serena Tsukino, would reach a point in her life that she seriously considering purchasing herself a one way ticket straight to the funny farm and begging the guys in the white jackets to lock her up in a padded cell and throw away the key.

As she lay there with her eyes closed, she heard the slight hiss of the sliding glass door leading to the balcony opening. When a shadow fell across her, blocking out the sun, she opened one eye to squint at the person standing over her.

Ah yes, her one pillar of stability in her otherwise chaotic world. A small smile tugged at her lips as she took in his features. The way the sunlight glistened on his glossy ebony hair made her breath catch and long to run her fingers through the silky locks. But his eyes always seemed to be what her attention turned to. One look into his dark, ocean blue depths, and she felt like an ice cream cone abandoned on a sidewalk on a hot July day, like she was going to melt under the intensity of his gaze.

He sat on the edge of the lounge chair next to her and handed her a tall glass of soda as she reluctantly pulled herself up into a sitting position. He took a small bottle of aspirin out of his pocket and sat it on the table next to her.

"In case you feel like you need them," he said in response to her raised eyebrow. "I know I did after the day we've had. Do you think they'll ever learn to behave?"

Serena sighed as she reached for the bottle and shook a couple of the pills into her hand. She washed them down with her drink before replying, "I don't know. And honestly, I'm to the point that I don't care anymore. I'm about ready to lock them all in a cage and let them fight to the death. What do you think?"

Problem #1 in Serena Tsukino's life right now; how to get the boys and girls to play nice with each other.

After the incident in the park with the unexpected game of keep away with Mina's cell phone, things had seemed to be going smoothly. The guys had put their best foot forward, and the girls had hesitantly accepted the proverbial olive branch that had been extended to them. They began talking to each other civilly, actually taking the time to get to know each other in this new life.

Things had settled down into a familiar routine after that. Everyday after school they would all meet at the arcade. After enjoying snacks and few video games, they would retreat to a secluded clearing in the park that Amy had equipped with a sort of cloaking device back in the early days when it had just been her, Serena, and Raye. Here they could transform and train without being seen by the outside world. After an hour or two, they would quit for the day before going home for dinner and homework and getting ready to do it all over again.

Things had gone on like this for about a week. Sapphire had shown up with his droids twice during that time, always with a quiet apology for having to attack them, but he was acting on his brother's orders. Serena had watched with pride as the scouts and the generals had worked together like a well-oiled machine to weaken the monsters. As a matter of fact, she just sat over to the side and waited until she was needed to strike the final blow with her moon scepter.

Then things started slowly unraveling. One day, while on the way to the arcade with Mina, Serena had looked up just in time to see a sleek silver convertible passing by them with the top down. Kyle was seated behind the wheel, and next to him was a laughing blonde girl.

Serena looked over quickly, hoping that Mina hadn't noticed. But the crushed look in those blue eyes told her that she had. With a disdainful sniff, Mina tossed her long golden hair over her shoulder and walked regally into the arcade where she proceeded to flirt unashamedly with Andrew and every other guy in the place that came anywhere near her.

When Kyle arrived for their scheduled meeting time, he found Mina surrounded by a throng of drooling admirers, all of them vying for her attention. He had retreated to a corner booth and made a show of ignoring the spectacle she was making of herself, but Serena had noticed the covert glances he had snuck in when he thought no one was looking. The two of them hadn't spoken since.

Amy experienced something similar when she had gone to the library to do some research for a paper. As she was looking through the shelves of books, a familiar chuckle had reached her ears. Looking around, she had spotted Zack standing behind a pretty brunette that was sitting at one of the tables. He was leaning over the girl, pointing something out in a book to her. The girl was looking at him with an adoring expression in her eyes as he spoke to her in that soft, gentle voice of his.

Amy had been so shocked that she had turned and left before he had seen her. After that day, she had turned a cold shoulder to the clearly bewildered Zack.

Lita had been more direct when it came to Nick. One day they were getting along great, the next she growled at him to stay the hell away from her unless he wanted a lightning bolt shoved up his ass.

Over a pig out session with the rest of the girls later on, she admitted that she had seen him outside a local movie theater the night before while she was walking to the store. She had started to wave and say hi, but then a buxom red head had thrown herself into his arms and had kissed him.

Surprisingly, Raye and Jake hadn't had a huge change in their relationship yet. But then again, Raye had been barely tolerant of the blonde haired boy anyway. Even after the other girls had begun to open up to the guys, she had held her distance from them, clearly still not trusting them. She had even gone as far as calling Mina, Amy, and Lita fools for thinking that a leopard could ever change its spots.

So now they were back to square one with the petty squabbles and bickering between the two opposing sides, and poor Serena and Darien were stuck right in the middle of it.

"I think the girls are overreacting," Darien said, getting up to lean against the balcony railing.

Serena stared at him in disbelief. "How can you say that? They are feeling betrayed all over again. I can't blame them for being mad. I would be if I were in their position and I saw you with some other girl."

Darien chuckled. "I'm sure you would be. But the truth is that none of them have said that they were interested in restarting their relationships. The guys didn't remember anything about the past until a couple of weeks ago. They all are from wealthy families and go to a prestigious school. It's not hard to believe that they may have had girlfriends before all of this."

Serena sniffed. "That may be true, but they never said anything about that when they were busy flirting with the girls. They got their hopes up only to bring them crashing down."

"Are you sure that's what happened?" Darien asked, crossing his arms across his chest. "Did any of you bother asking for the truth before jumping to conclusions?"

Serena blushed at that. "No, but I saw Kyle with that girl in his car. They looked pretty cozy to me."

"I'm sure they did. That was his cousin. She had somewhere that she needed to be and he gave her a ride. That's all it was," he informed her.

She wasn't ready to give up the fight just yet. "Well what about Zack and Nick? What were they up too?"

Darien gave her his trademark smirk. "The girl in the library was Zack's assigned partner for a project in his physics class. And according to Nick, the red head is a psycho stalker girl that's been ambushing him for months. I haven't seen any reason to not believe them on this. After talking to them, I really feel like they are wanting to try to hook up with the girls."

'_See, I told you there would be a logical explanation,' _a voice whispered in her head.

That brought us to problem #2 in her life, the mysterious voice that had been speaking to her inside her mind.

It was worse than having her own personal Jiminy Cricket sitting on her shoulder. Sometimes she could go for hours and not hear it, but then it would pop up suddenly and start chattering away. And it always seemed to pick the most annoying times to do so.

One time had been when she had been sitting in her Algebra II class. She had been working hard trying to figure out a complex equation. Just as she had put her pencil to the paper, a screech had sounded inside her head, _'That's not the way to do it! Endymion just went over this subject with you last night. Did you not retain anything that he told you.'_

"Would you just shut up already!" Serena had exclaimed.

"Miss Tsukino, is there something that you would like to share with the rest of the class?" her teacher had asked from the front of the room.

Looking around, she had seen that everyone was staring at her. Blushing, she realized that she must have spoken out loud without meaning to.

Mina and Lita, who had the same class with her, each gave her a quizzical look. When they asked her about her outburst later, she told them that she must have dozed off for a second and been talking in her sleep. Her track record luckily made that lie believable.

Another embarrassing time had been when she had been watching a movie with Darien at his apartment. Well, a movie was playing on the TV while they were making out on the couch. Things had been getting pretty steamy when her invisible friend had decided to show up again.

Serena had been lying there with her eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of her boyfriend kissing her neck when the voice had snapped, _'Ugh, what is wrong with him? Endymion knows that my collarbone is my weak spot. Why is he avoiding it? Push his head down a little. Show him what you want. He's obviously clueless.'_

'_Go away,' _Serena had groaned inwardly. _'This is my private time. I don't need a third person in the middle of this, thank you very much.'_

The voice had giggled, _'Sorry. I was just trying to help you out. A word of advice though, go for his ear. If there's one thing that I know about Endymion, if you nibble on his lobe a little and then blow into his ear, it drives him absolutely insane.'_

'_Thank you, but I don't need your advice. Now get out of my head!' _Serena demanded.

The voice had disappeared, and a few minutes later, Serena had surprised herself by acting on the advice given to her. She had gently sucked on one of Darien's ear lobes, pulling it into her mouth and nibbling softly on it with her teeth. As she pulled away, she blew a light breath into his ear.

His entire body had shuddered as she did, and then he had abruptly pulled away. He sat back on the couch, his face flushed and breathing heavily. He had avoided her questioning eyes.

"It's getting late. I should probably get you home," he said gruffly, getting up and readjusting his clothes before shoving his feet into his shoes.

Confused, Serena glanced at the clock. She still had forty-five minutes before her curfew was up. But the tone of Darien's voice had kept her from arguing with him about it. She had quietly slid on her shoes and followed him out of the apartment.

It had been a silent walk to her house. Once they reached it, he had told her goodbye and given her a quick, chaste kiss before hurrying away. She had spent the whole night wondering what she had done wrong. But the next day he had seemed fine and acted like nothing strange had happened the night before, so she just let it go.

'_Go away, Serenity,' _she growled now, not wanting to have to deal with what she had come to assume was the consciousness of her past self. _'I don't feel like dealing with you right now.'_

'_Oh, don't mind me,' _Serenity chirped happily. _'I'm not here to bug you this time. I'll just sit here and be quiet while you and Endymion have your little talk.'_

"Serena, are you okay?" Darien's concerned voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She blinked a few times before looking at him, giving him a wide, but fake smile. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about stuff."

He sat back down next to her and reached out a hand to trace the shadows under her eyes. "You're not fine. You didn't sleep again last night, did you?"

She shrugged. "I got some sleep. It was just a rough night. I guess I was worrying about this situation between the scouts and the generals and it kept me awake. I'll make up for it tonight. After all, tomorrow's Saturday, and that means I can sleep in some."

She grimaced to herself. She hated lying to him, but really she didn't know what to tell him. She couldn't even figure it out herself.

Problem #3 in Serena's chaotic life, she was having nightmares. Not ones like before where she relived the past and saw all of her friends and Darien die. These were different. If possible, they were even darker and more horrifying than reliving the events of the past.

It was always the same. There was a battle. Somehow Tuxedo Mask, the scouts, and the generals were all captured by what seemed to be ropes of dark energy. She was left standing all alone. Diamond was before her, holding Rini in his arms. He promised to let all of them go if she would only come with him. Feeling helpless, she agreed. The moment she took his hand, everything went blank.

She then found herself at another battle, this time she watched as an outside observer. Her friends were fighting against…well the only way to put it was her. At least it looked like her. She was in her princess form, but she stared at her friends with cold, emotionless eyes. Then a voice commanded her to destroy them all. She summoned the Silver Crystal and shot at blast straight at her loved ones.

She always woke up at that point, sweating and shaking. It was always impossible to fall back asleep after that, so most of the time she felt like she was walking around in a daze.

She had consulted with Raye, only telling her that she'd had a dream that she thought might be about a future battle, but she hadn't given her any details. The raven-haired fire priestess had tried to find out something in the sacred flames, but she said it was too cloudy to see.

"Serena," Darien said softly, cupping her cheek in his palm. "You look exhausted. Why don't you go lay down on my bed and try to take a nap. I'll wake you up when dinner's ready, okay?"

The plea in his eyes broke down her resistance. She was tired. It had been an extremely long day. School had seemed to drag out forever and then their training session this afternoon had turned into a disaster when the scouts and generals had flat out refused to get along no matter how much she had begged them to. After only a half hour of listening to them argue and seeing that they weren't going to get anything done, she had sent everyone home. She had a headache the size of Japan and wasn't in the mood for dealing with them.

The thought of Darien's large, comfortable bed, with its fluffy pillows and black silk sheets was too much of a temptation for her to pass up. Maybe she would get lucky and having his calming presence nearby would be enough to keep the dream away. It was worth a shot. She was so sleepy.

She nodded her head slowly in agreement and couldn't help but smile when Darien gave her a wide, face splitting grin. She had always thought he was drop dead gorgeous, but when he let down his defenses and showed his emotions like this, his appeal jumped even higher, if that was at all possible.

He stood and offered her a hand before leading her inside. They passed through the living room where Rini was coloring at the coffee table while watching cartoons and down the hall to his darkened bedroom.

Darien pulled back the covers before scooping her up in his arms and laying her down gently. He tucked her in before leaning down and giving her a butterfly light kiss. "Sleep well, my princess."

He brushed a piece of hair off her face as she closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into his pillow. With a last look at her, he turned and went to join Rini in the living room.

He had become unusually attached to the girl over the last few weeks. It wasn't that he didn't like kids, but he normally didn't have much to do with them. Of course, looking back over his life, he hadn't had much interaction with anyone until recently. He had Serena and Andrew to thank for pulling him out of his shell.

Sitting on one of his couches, he soon became lost in thought. He didn't know why, but Serena was lying to him. He could read the signs. She had the same look around her that he recognized as being the same one he'd had when he was suffering from those nightmares about her dying. Raye had confirmed his suspicions when she had casually mentioned that Serena had asked her to do a fire reading about a dream that she'd had.

He knew something was bothering his princess, and it wasn't the juvenile behavior of their friends. Something had disturbed her deeply. She tried to hide it, but he could see it. Every time he looked into the sparkling blue of her eyes, he could see something lurking underneath.

"Hey Darien," Rini asked, climbing up on the couch to sit next to him. "Is Serena okay? She not sick is she?"

Her bright maroon eyes shown with so much concern that he couldn't help the rush of warmth he felt for the little girl. He wrapped an arm around her little body and pulled her close to his side. She reminded him so much of Serena sometimes that it was uncanny. The two really seemed like they could be related.

"She's fine, Rini," he quickly reassured her. "She was just really tired and I convinced her to take a nap. This way she won't be sleepy when we watch our movie later and can enjoy it with us."

He had invited both girls over for a movie night and had offered to cook dinner for them. After what had happened the last time he'd had Serena over by herself to watch a movie, he had thought it was best to have a chaperone with them to keep things neutral.

The golden haired beauty brought up feelings in him that he had never felt before. He loved everything about her and enjoyed spending time with her. But the hormonal teenage boy side of him was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his hands off of her. When she had done that naughty little trick with his ear the last time, he had almost lost it and ripped her clothes off right there.

The legal age of consent in the Azabu and Juuban prefectures was sixteen, so if they wanted to take the next step in their relationship, there was no problem there. And heaven knows he had enough of Endymion's memories in his head to know that he and Serenity had not practiced celibacy, but to become physically involved would be a huge step in their relationship. One he wasn't sure either one of them were ready for. Not to mention the fact that he would be a dead man if Ken Tsukino found out that he had taken his daughter's innocence. The man had barely restrained himself when he found out that Serena was dating him a couple of weeks ago. Good thing his wife had some control over him.

Sometimes it sucked being a good guy. How many other seventeen-year-old guys would be sitting on a couch watching cartoons with an eight year old kid when they had a hot, blonde bombshell stretched out in their bed. After hearing the guys at school talk, he knew it wouldn't be many.

He shook his head to get rid of the thoughts running through it. This line of thinking was definitely making him uncomfortable in certain areas, not to mention it was also making him hot under the collar. He reached up and removed his already loosened tie and threw it on the table and undid another button on his shirt.

Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he looked down to see Rini staring at him expectantly. "I'm sorry, Rini. Did you say something?"

She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "I said, aren't you afraid that Serena will have that nightmare again? She's always upset after she wakes up from it?"

That caught his attention. He turned so he could face the little girl properly. "Does she have it a lot? Has she told you what it's about?"

She looked apprehensive, like she wasn't sure if she should say anything. Maybe she thought she would be betraying Serena's trust if she told, but this was important.

He placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "Rini, if Serena is having problems, I need to know so I can help her. Keeping it to yourself won't do her any good. I can tell that she's hurting, and I want to try to make her better."

"Okay," she sighed. "I don't know what she dreams about, all I know is that she has bad dreams every night. You know I usually sneak into her room to sleep, right? Well she starts off muttering in her sleep, but I can't tell what she's saying. Then she starts moving around a lot and crying. After that she usually wakes up and lies there with her face in the pillow while she cries some more. I lie there and pretend like I'm asleep. Then she gets up and stays up for the rest of the night, like she's scared to go back to sleep."

Darien groaned and closed his eyes. He had known that something had been bothering his love, but the girl in front of him was painting a horrific picture of her going through what sounded like torture on a nightly basis.

"Thank you for telling me, Rini," he said, giving the girl a quick hug. "You are a brave and honest little girl and I'm proud of you."

Her cheeks blushed as pink as her hair as she looked down and whispered. "That's what my daddy always says about me, too. He calls me his brave little princess."

Darien chuckled. "And he's right. I don't think there are too many kids your age that could go through what you have these last weeks and handle it as well as you have. I'm sure both of your parents will be proud of you when we get you back home to them."

To his dismay, her eyes filled with tears. "Darien, do you really think I'll ever get back home to mommy and daddy? I've been gone for so long now, and they were both really hurt bad when I left. What if something worse happened to them after I left? What if…" A soft sob left her as the tears spilled over. "What if they're both dead and I never see them again?"

Not knowing what else to do, Darien picked the little girl up and sat her in his lap and held her as she cried into his chest. He made soft shushing sounds as he rubbed her back gently. After several minutes, her sobs had quieted to hiccups.

"I'm sorry, daddy," she suddenly whispered. "I guess I'm not a brave little princess after all."

Darien hugged her tighter. "Yes you are, Rini. You're the bravest little princess I know. And I'm sure wherever you're parents are, they are as proud of you as Serena and I are. You are a special little girl, and don't let anyone tell you different."

She seemed to take comfort in his words and snuggled deeper into the embrace. A few minutes later, Darien realized that she had fallen asleep. He laid her down on the couch and tucked a blanket around her small form, wiping the remnants of her tears from her cheeks. She looked so small and innocent lying there. It wasn't fair that she had been chased from her home and hunted down. She was someone's daughter, their baby

Despite his reassurances to her, deep down he was afraid that something really bad had happened to her parents. He knew that if it were his daughter that was in danger, nothing, except death, would prevent him from protecting her.

If it were true, and her parents were dead, he wondered if she had any other family that would be able to take her in and give her the love and care she needed. He hated to think of her being doomed to the same fate that had lived with for ten years. Being put in an orphanage would probably be enough to break her spirit, and he hated to think of the bright light in her eyes being extinguished.

Pulling himself from his morbid thoughts, he went to go check on his other Sleeping Beauty. He found her curled on her side, cheeks flushed with sleep. She seemed to be resting comfortably, but he couldn't help brushing a light kiss on her pink cheek and running a hand over her silky hair.

"Why didn't you tell me what you were going through, Angel?" he whispered. "You don't always have to bear the weight of the world all alone. I'll always be right here to help you."

She stirred a little at the sound of his voice, so he decided he better leave before he woke her up. He didn't want to disturb her when she was finally getting the rest that she so desperately needed.

Retreating to the kitchen, he flipped on a small radio that he kept on the counter and listened to the softly playing music as he began gathering the things he needed to make dinner. He had a big meal planned for them, and he hoped that it would raise both girls' spirits.

He kept himself busy, slicing, chopping, and measuring ingredients. He had just reached under the counter to retrieve a skillet, when a blood-curdling scream ripped through the apartment.

He dropped the pan as he ran from the room. As he flew through the living room, he saw Rini sitting up on the couch, staring at his bedroom door with a look of fear on her face. He reached for his transformation rose in his pocket and quickly changed into Tuxedo Mask.

The first thing that had popped into his mind when he heard Serena scream was that the enemy must have come in and attacked her while she was sleeping. He burst through the bedroom door, expecting to find Diamond or one of his droids there. Instead he found the room empty, except for the moaning, thrashing blonde on the bed.

Her head tossed from side to side as tears poured from under her closed lids. The blankets were twisted around her kicking legs and she held the sheet under her bunched up in two white knuckled fists.

Once he had made sure that there was no threat present in the room, Tuxedo Mask made his way quickly to the bed and took Serena by the shoulders, shaking her. "Serena! Serena, wake up!"

"No, please, don't hurt them," she whimpered in her sleep and tried to pull away from him.

His grip tightened and he shook her again. "Sere!"

Her eyes flew open, pupils wide and dilated. She sat up with a screech and scrambled away from him until her back was pressed up against the headboard. She stared at him with a mixture of fear and shock on her face for several long moments before bolting from the bed and running to the bathroom.

The sound of her being violently sick reached him a moment later, snapping him out of his confusion over what had just happened. He turned to follow her and spotted a scared looking Rini standing at the open bedroom door.

"Is this what she goes through every night?" he asked her.

Eyes wide, the little girl shook her head. "No. I've never seen her have one that bad. She usually just cries."

Sighing, he continued to the bathroom. He found Serena slumped on the floor with her eyes closed, resting her head against the cool glass of the shower door. Her entire body was trembling and beads of sweat dotted her forehead.

Darien let his transformation go and felt the tuxedo and cape fade away back to his school slacks and button down shirt. He quickly wet a washcloth and knelt down next to his traumatized girlfriend.

Serena jumped when she felt the cool cloth on her forehead. When she opened her eyes, she stared at him with so much pain and sadness in her gaze that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

"Sere, please talk to me," Darien said softly. "I need to know what's going on. This is more than just nightmares, isn't it?"

She nodded slowly. "I don't know what it is though. I'm scared that it may be a prediction of things to come. I pray it's not. I couldn't live with myself if it were."

He felt her shiver against him and wrapped her tightly in his arms. He felt hot tears on his neck as she buried her head in the crook of his shoulder.

"I don't want to lose myself," she whispered. "I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm afraid that I might. I don't want that to happen."

He opened his mouth to ask her what she meant by that, but was cut off by Rini's terrified shriek.

"Serena!"

The amount of fear in the little girl's voice had the two teens rushing from the bathroom. They found Rini standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the balcony doors. Her eyes were wide in terror as she looked at the long green haired woman that had just stepped through the sliding glass.

"Well well, Rabbit. We meet again." Emerald drawled lazily. "You were quite easy to find. Now I would suggest that you come with me quietly. Wiseman has special plans for you."

"I don't think so," Serena snapped, pushing Rini behind her. "If you want her you're going to have to go through me first."

A crazed look entered the other woman's eyes. "I would like nothing better, Serenity. I have wanted to rip that golden hair from your head since the moment you weaved your spell over Diamond. He deserves to have a real woman, not a little moon tramp like you."

"Hey, if you want him, he's all yours. I don't want him," Serena said angrily. "In case you haven't noticed, he was the one chasing me."

"Because you bewitched him!" Emerald screamed. "He loved me until he met you. You stole his love for me. I'll make you pay for that!"

She lunged for Serena, but was driven back by Darien, who had transformed into Tuxedo Mask. Using his cane, he pushed her back until she fell over his coffee table.

"Serena, take Rini and run," he said quickly. "She's the one she's after. I'll hold her back. Call for backup and get somewhere safe."

"But what about you? I can't just leave you here," Serena protested.

He grabbed her by the arm and pushed her toward the door. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Rini's the one we have to protect right now. Now go!"

She gathered Rini in her arms. "I'll send the guys to help you."

"No, keep them with you," he told her. "I'll feel better knowing you've got everyone with you. I'll catch up to you in a bit."

With one last glance, she ran from the apartment with Rini. She bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. It might be twenty flights down, but she needed to avoid people for the moment.

She entered the deserted stairwell and began making her way down at a run. She reached a hand up to her broach. "Moon Crystal Power!" she cried, transforming on the fly.

She flipped her communicator open. There were now twice as many buttons on it than there used to be. Once Luna and Artemis had gotten over the shock of the resurrected generals, they had modified the new communicators so that everyone could be reached easily. She hurriedly pressed the call all button. Luckily, every answered the call within seconds.

"Listen up everyone, this is an emergency," she spoke quickly. "One of the enemies showed up at Darien's apartment and tried to take Rini. I got her out and we are on the run while Tuxedo Mask holds her back."

"Head for the temple," Mina told her. "All of the scouts are here. We're leaving now and will meet you halfway, okay?"

"Okay," Sailor Moon agreed, and then sighed. She knew she was going against Darien's wishes, but she wasn't going to leave him without some help. "I need the generals to go to the apartment and assist Tuxedo Mask. It's just one woman, but she's psycho. He may need some help."

"On our way," Kyle answered, making her feel relieved. Darien would probably chew her out later for it, but she didn't care.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and hurried through a back exit. She didn't want to draw attention to herself by streaking through the lobby. Then people would start wondering why Tokyo's famous heroine was in the building.

Sticking to the back alleys, she ran for the park. Cutting through it was the quickest way to get to the temple. Her heart was pounding from exertion and she began to get a stitch in her side. When she realized she was in a secluded section of the park, she stopped and set Rini down for a moment so she could catch her breath.

"Who was that woman, Rini?" she panted with her hands on her knees.

Rini shook her head. "I don't know exactly. I remember she was there when my home was attacked. She laughed when she saw my mommy get hurt. I think I heard one of my mommy's friends call her Emerald while we were running away "

The little girl began to shake and Sailor Moon hugged her tight. "Don't worry, Rini. I'm not going to let them get you."

"Don't be so sure about that, Sailor Moon," a voice said as a droid appeared, floating in the air above them. "My mistress seems to have other plans for the both of you."

Sailor Moon stepped back from Rini and pulled out her scepter. "Think again negatrash! There's no way you're getting your hands on this girl. You wanna try, then bring it on!"

The droid smirked and its eyes began to glow. "You look tired, Sailor Moon. Why don't you have a nice rest? You must be exhausted from all of this fighting."

A column of light pinned Sailor Moon in place as the droid began chanting in a hypnotic tone. "Yes, you're tired. Go to sleep, go to sleep."

She was frozen in place, unable to move. Waves of exhaustion rolled over her and she sank to her knees. She wanted desperately to tear her eyes from the droid, but she was captured in its gaze. As she fell to the ground and felt the darkness set in, she whispered, "Run, Rini."

And then everything went black.

* * *

Emerald picked herself up off the floor and glared at the door as Serenity and that little brat of hers disappeared through it. She started to give chase, but was blocked once again by Tuxedo Mask. He shoved her hard and she slammed up against the wall.

She shook off the impact and gave him a coy smile. "Why Endymion, this isn't what I expected from you. I had always heard that you were quite the charmer." She licked her lips suggestively. "How about we take a little time to get to know each other? Let me show you what a real woman is like. You don't have to settle for that pale imitation."

Tuxedo Mask eyed her in disgust. "Thanks, but no thanks, lady. Serena is ten times the woman you are."

"Ugh! What is it about that little moon bitch?" Emerald ranted. "Every man that crosses her path falls for her."

Tuxedo Mask grinned. "Maybe it's because she has a heart. Something you obviously know nothing about."

Emerald's eyes narrowed. "No. It's because she's a power hungry little bitch that thinks everything ought to served to her on a silver platter. But that's okay, I have a little surprise for her. Droid Hypnotica!"

A droid appeared next to her. "Yes mistress."

"Go take care of that pesky moon princess while I deal with her little prince here," she commanded. "I don't care what you do to her, but bring the child back unharmed."

The droid bowed. "As you wish, mistress. I will lock her away forever in a world of nightmares that she can never hope to escape. The energy will slowly leave her body until she dies."

Tuxedo Mask lunged for the droid, but missed as it faded away.

Emerald threw back her head and let out a high pitched, irritating laugh. "Let's see how your little princess handles that. Don't worry, Hypnotica will tuck her in."

"Serena," Tuxedo Mask groaned, running for the balcony door so he could go after her. He was hoping with all of his might that she was already with the scouts and generals. The two sides may not be getting along at the moment, but he knew that none of them would let anything happen to her or Rini.

He reached the door and was preparing to leap from the balcony to go in search of Serena and Rini when he suddenly found himself encased in a sphere of dark energy that snapped and crackled around him.

"Not so fast, Endymion," Emerald said in amusement. "I'm afraid I can't let you go running off to Serenity's rescue this time. It's time for her to fall from that pedestal that everyone seems to put her on. But now I'm faced with what to do with you. I know Diamond wants you dead, but I find it hard to dispose of such a wonderful male specimen. Perhaps I'll take you back with me and keep you for myself. Having his number one rival around should get Diamond's attention. Yes, that might just work."

"You're crazy!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed, banging on the walls of his prison. "I'm not going anywhere with you.

He gasped and grabbed his chest as his link with Serena flared to life. He felt a strong sense of fear and confusion for a moment before it started to slowly drain away. He began to panic as he felt her grow weaker with every passing second.

"Let me out of here you psychotic bitch!" he yelled, renewing his pounding on the walls of the sphere.

"All in good time," Emerald said with a smirk. She watched him with her head cocked to the side. "You really are quite handsome when you lose your temper. I can see why Serenity would keep you around. You have very captivating eyes."

Rage and anxiety flowed through him, making him crazy. He felt a pressure building inside of him and felt like he was going to explode at any second. Serena was in danger and she needed him. He could hear her crying out for him through their bond. As he glared at the demented woman in front of him, he felt something snap.

A power he had never felt before seemed to push its way out through the pores of his skin. Without realizing what he was doing, he directed that power to the shield around him and called out, "Smoking Bomber!"

The sphere of dark energy collapsed around him as a golden light flared to life. When it finally dimmed, he was standing unharmed while a battered looking Emerald lay on the floor where the blast had flung her.

The front door of the apartment flew open as the generals charged in. "Endymion!" Kunzite yelled.

The four men pulled up short at the sight in front of them. They had been worried for their prince's safety after receiving the distress call from Sailor Moon, but obviously it was all for nothing. Just like his past incarnation, it seemed that Endymion was more than capable of looking out for himself.

"What are you four doing here?" the reincarnated earth prince growled. "You're supposed to be with Serena and Rini."

Jadeite held up his hands. "Whoa, hold up. Serena called and told us to come help you. She was going to meet the girls."

Tuxedo Mask let out an agonized groan. "Damn her. I told her I could take care of myself. Why didn't she listen to me?"

A shrill scream of laughter brought the attention of all five guys to the woman on the floor. She was laughing hysterically. "It's too late now for your princess. Hypnotica has put her under her spell now. Serenity is as good as dead. The Rabbit will be ours and then our plan will be complete. The past will be changed and the future will crumble. Prince Diamond will rule the Earth. And with Serenity gone, I'll be his queen."

She disappeared in a swirl of dark energy, leaving the guys speechless for a moment. Tuxedo Mask bolted for the balcony door again. The generals followed him closely. His bond with Serena was so weak that he could barely feel her. Fear made his heart jump into his throat as he followed the faint feeling, praying that he would reach her in time.

As they neared the park, his communicator beeped. He flipped it open to reveal a frantic looking Sailor Venus.

"Darien, where are you?" she cried out immediately. "We need you here. There's a droid and it's done something to Serena. It tried to take off with Rini, but we got here in time. I'm worried about Serena though, we can't get her to respond at all."

"I'm almost there," he responded quickly. "Just hold on one more minute."

Sailor Mars' voice screamed in the background. "We may not have a minute, Shields! Get your ass here. NOW!"

Anger was a normal emotion to hear in the priestess's voice, but the fear quivering in Raye's voice right now sounded foreign, sending his already rapidly pounding pulse into overdrive.

Barely aware of the generals following, he ran down the park's path. He rounded a turn and felt his heart stutter before it dropped to his feet.

Sailor Moon laid unmoving on the ground with her eyes closed. There was a shimmer around her body as her energy was being drained. A sobbing Rini sat at her side while the remaining four scouts were facing off against the same droid that had appeared in his apartment earlier.

The girls shrieked as a beam of light hit them and the droid began chanting in a singsong voice for them to go to sleep.

Mercury was the first to cave, dropping to her knees, followed soon after by Mars. Jupiter and Venus tried to fight against it, but they had no chance against the hypnotic power of the droid.

The generals wasted no time. The moment they saw that the scouts were in danger they sprang into action, sending blasts of energy at the droid, effectively breaking the spell before the girls succumbed to it. They took defensive stances in front of the scouts, shielding them from any other possible attacks.

Tuxedo Mask hurried to Sailor Moon's side and gathered her in his arms. He was shocked to find that her skin was ice cold to the touch and her breathing was extremely shallow. Putting an ear to her chest, he heard a heartbeat, but it was faint and slower than it should be.

He desperately wanted to call Mercury over and have her scan her with the computer, but a quick glance showed him that the scouts were back on their feet and teaming up with the generals in an effort to take out the droid. If he hadn't been so worried about Serena, he would have been able to appreciate the fact that they were working together instead of fighting.

"Rini, what happened?" he asked the girl beside him.

"That monster shot her with some light and then used some kind of hypnosis to make her go to sleep," Rini told him. "She told me to run, so I did. The monster started chasing me, and then the scouts showed up and started fighting the monster. I've been trying to wake Serena up, but she won't. You've got to help her, Darien!"

"Okay, Rini, shh…" he shushed the girl. "I've got to think. I don't know what to do."

He alternated between tapping Sailor Moon's pale cheeks and vigorously rubbing the chilled skin of her upper arms, shaking her a little as he called out to her, desperation making his voice break.

"Come on, Sere," he pleaded. "Please honey, open your eyes. Let me see those baby blues."

A small explosion had him jerking his head up. It seemed that the droid had managed to turn one of Mars' fire attacks back on the group of heroes, and it had sent them scattering in all directions.

Kunzite had grabbed Venus and ducked behind a tree while Zoicite had covered himself and Mercury with his cape while conjuring a wall of ice to protect them from the flames. Nephrite and Jupiter had managed to leap to safety and Jadeite had thrown himself over Mars, tackling her to ground and protecting her body with his.

'_Things are getting out of control,' _Tuxedo Mask thought to himself. _'We need Sailor Moon. What the hell are we going to do?'_

Suddenly someone answered him. _'Well sitting here isn't going to do you any good, now is it?'_

He whipped his head around, looking for who it was that had spoken to him, but there was no one who could have spoken in that deep voice.

'_Great, now I'm losing it,' _he scolded himself. _'Things go crazy and I start hallucinating. That's just perfect!'_

'_Look, we don't have time to discuss this right now,' _the voice yelled at him, and he gasped when he realized that it was coming from inside his head. _'You need to act fast. You can take out this droid.'_

'_Yeah right,' _he sneered inwardly. _'If the generals and the scouts can't touch it with their power, what can I do? I don't think my wimpy roses are going to have much of an effect.'_

An irritated growl rang through his head. _'No, they wouldn't, but you have more power than you realize, Darien. You touched it earlier when you escaped that bitch's trap. Now you just need to find it again.'_

'_I thought that was just a fluke,' _he mused. _'I figured that green haired psycho messed up and let me go by accident.'_

'_No, that was all you,' _the voice insisted. _'You are the prince of Earth for crying out loud! The power of this planet is yours to command. Now get up off of your ass and do something! Serenity is running out of time!'_

"Serena," Tuxedo Mask whispered, looking down at the unconscious girl in his arms. _'What do I do?' _he asked his mystery voice.

There was a relieved sigh. _'That golden power you used earlier is inside you. Reach inside and connect with it. You'll know what to do. Now hurry! She's slipping farther away every second that passes. That creature must be destroyed before she can be saved. If you don't act quickly, she will die!'_

If there were ever words to galvanize him into action, those were it. There was no way that he was going to just stand by while the life slowly drained out of the love of his life, not if there was a chance that he could do something about it. But did he have the power to do it?

'_Don't worry. I'll help you,' _the voice said softly.

He gently laid Sailor Moon back down on the ground and stood, crossing quickly over to where the others had been battling the droid. Venus and Kunzite had come out from behind the tree. Zoicite had uncovered Mercury and himself from his cape and they stood. Jupiter and Nephrite jumped down from the branch they had taken refuge on. Jadeite rolled off of Mars and stood, offering her a hand to help her up, which she accepted with no qualms.

"Mercury," Tuxedo Mask ground out between clenched teeth. "I need you to go scan Serena. She's not responding to anything and I want a full report on what's wrong with her."

They all stared at him. This wasn't the quiet, stoic Darien they were used to. There was a regal, commanding tone in his voice that left no room for argument. Mercury nodded her blue head quickly before rushing to her fallen princess's side, her computer already in her hand. Zoicite hurried to accompany her.

Satisfied for the moment that Serena was in capable hands, he turned his attention to the smirking droid. "This freak is going down," he growled.

"Well I hope you have a plan. We've thrown everything we've got at it and haven't even scratched it," Venus said tiredly.

"Yeah, no offense cape boy, but I don't see your roses making a big difference here," Jupiter snapped.

Mars watched him closely with her all knowing eyes. She remained quiet. She could tell that something was different about him. There was a definite change in his aura. Where it usually swirled with the blue and green of the earth, there was now a golden glow that was weaved in with it. She had only felt an aura of this strength from one other person before, and that was Serena.

"Back off guys," she said quietly. "I think Darien has this under control."

He gave her a grateful smile, then turned to face the creature that had dared to harm his princess. Anger began to burn through his veins, fueling the blind rage that he felt that he could fly into any second.

Underneath the rampant emotions, he felt the same sensation that he had experienced earlier. Tingles raced up and down his arms and heat pooled in his palms. Gasps were heard as his hands began glowing gold.

"Endymion," Kunzite whispered.

Jadeite stared, awestruck. "The true prince has returned."

Nephrite nodded in agreement. "The power of Earth has awakened once more."

Tuxedo Mask turned and gave them all a cocky grin over his shoulder before training his attention solely on the now apprehensive looking droid. "Time for you to say goodnight. Now try to beat this."

He held his hands out in front of him as the golden power flared even brighter. The bodiless voice was murmuring encouraging words in the back of his mind. "Smoking Bomber!" he called out in his new, commanding tone.

The blast of power flew from his hands. Hypnotica shrieked and looked around in panic, searching for an avenue of escape. But there was nowhere to go. Within a second the droid was surrounded by the golden glow. With a fractured scream, it turned into dust that crumbled to the ground, a green jewel dropped onto the pile before turning black.

"What the hell was that?" Jupiter asked in a strained whisper.

Venus looked almost accusingly at him. "You've been holding out on us."

"Absolutely amazing," Mars murmured.

Kunzite, Jadeite, and Nephrite let out whoops of glee, hurrying to his side and taking turns grasping his shoulder or slapping him on the back.

"I hate to break up this moment, but we've got a problem over here," Zoicite's voice broke in.

Tuxedo Mask cursed under his breath, pissed at himself for forgetting about Serena and the danger she was in, even if it was just for moment. He had let the exhilaration of his newfound power overcome him for a minute, but now his fears returned.

He ran to where Mercury knelt at Sailor Moon's side, studying the small screen of her computer with troubled eyes.

"What is it, Amy?" he demanded, panicked. "What's going on?"

She looked at him with scared blue eyes. "I don't know. I was sure once the droid was destroyed that she would return to normal, but she seems to be slipping further away."

He almost knocked the small scout over in his haste to pull his golden haired princess back into his arms. He was alarmed to find that her skin had grown impossibly colder. Her breaths were so shallow now that he could barely see her chest move at all.

"Why is this happening?" he asked harshly. "The droid has been destroyed. She shouldn't still be losing energy."

Mercury tapped buttons furiously. "She's not losing energy anymore. Normally the Silver Crystal would kick in and replenish her, but she's so weak that she doesn't have enough life force left to power it. She's barely hanging on by a thread. If something doesn't happen soon, we could lose her."

Those words scared him deeply. A world without Serena? No, that wasn't possible. He couldn't imagine his life without the spunky blonde in it. To not be able to gaze into her caring blue eyes or hear her joyous laughter ever again would be worse than any hell he could possibly imagine.

'_Share your energy with her,'_ the mystery voice was back. _'She's severely depleted and needs your energy now. She won't survive without it.'_

'_And just how am I supposed to do that?' _he growled inwardly.

The voice actually had the nerve to chuckle at that. _'You're a smart boy. I'm sure you can figure it out.'_

He gazed down at her smooth, serene face. The flush that normally colored her cheeks a delicate pink was missing, but her full lips still held a hint of color. They were slightly parted as her small, almost nonexistent breaths puffed softly through them. They caught his attention, and suddenly all he could think about was feeling their satiny, petal smooth softness against his.

He dipped his head, and then paused. What was he doing?

'_Would you just kiss her already!' _the voice in his head roared.

He closed the last inch between their lips and claimed hers like a man dying of thirst looking for a drink of water. He felt a warmth rise up in his body. It centered on their joined lips and then seemed to pass from him and into her.

Slowly, he became aware of tiny little changes. The skin of her upper arms began to warm under his hands, as did her lips. Her chest began to move in a steady rhythm as her respiration increased. And then her lips began to move under his. One of her slim hands slid up his chest and gripped tightly onto the lapel of his tuxedo jacket.

When he felt the fingers of her other hand trail lightly down his cheek, he pulled back and slowly opened his eyes to be confronted by the most beautiful sight in the world.

Twin pools of shining crystal blue framed in sooty, dark lashes met his sapphire gaze. A small smile tilted the corners of her lips up, and a giggle escaped her.

"Wow!" she sighed breathlessly. "What did I miss?"

He groaned and pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her neck as he felt the sharp sting of tears prickle his eyes. "Don't you ever…EVER do this to me again. I don't think I could take it."

He felt her arms wrap around his neck, and he took a shaky breath as breathed deeply of her citrus and sunshine scent, confirming to himself that she was okay; living, breathing, and warm in his arms.

"Rini, honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" he heard her ask suddenly. Then she pulled away from him abruptly.

He looked to see her gathering the little girl in her arms. Streams of tears were pouring from the maroon eyes and the tiny arms locked around Sailor Moon's neck in a death grip.

"I…I…w…was…so scared!" Rini cried hysterically. "You were just laying there and wouldn't wake up. It made me think of my mommy. She was asleep when I left home and she couldn't wake up either. I was afraid the same thing was going to happen to you."

"Oh Rini," Sailor Moon sighed. "I'm sorry you were scared, but I don't want you to worry. I made you a promise, remember? I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to do all I can to help you get back home."

Rini nodded and then gave her a watery smile. "I know you will. Now can we get something to eat? I'm hungry."

Sailor Moon laughed as her stomach echoed the little girl's sentiments. "I could use some dinner myself." She shot a mischievous look at her boyfriend. "I guess our dinner plans got ruined by all of this, didn't it?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I'm still willing to cook. Why don't we go back to my place and continue our movie night?" He helped her up off the ground and gave in to the temptation of her lips. He leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Geez, get a room you two." Jadeite whined. "No one wants to see your public displays of affection."

"Oh, leave them alone!" Venus exclaimed. "It's no worse than looking at how wrapped up you and Raye are at the moment."

"Like you have any room to talk, Mina!" Mars snapped. "Are you sure you and Kunzy there aren't glued together? If you get any closer to him, you'll be under his skin."

The sound of this banter had Sailor Moon's head snapping around to look at her scouts. A sly grin twitched her lips.

Mars was indeed standing very close to Jadeite, allowing him to keep an arm around her shoulders. Venus did appear to be attached to Kunzite, she was pressed against his side and was holding on to his arm. Jupiter was leaning casually against Nephrite, and Mercury had her fingers entwined with Zoicite's.

"I must have missed a lot while I was asleep," she said in an innocent tone. "I thought you girls had decided that the guys were the scum of the earth and weren't worthy of your time."

All of the scouts blushed and looked down while the generals shuffled their feet uncomfortably. They all looked extremely self-conscious for the moment.

"Thank goodness!" Sailor Moon exclaimed on a laugh. "Now I just hope that all of you will quit being so damn stubborn and try to make this work. I'm really tired of listening to you guys bickering all the time. Now go and have fun. I've got dinner and a movie waiting for me."

They all chuckled and after words of farewell and hugs between the girls were shared, they all split up. The scouts and generals breaking into pairs and wandering off to find a place to detransform before going to find other forms of entertainment for the night.

Tuxedo Mask scooped Rini up in his arms and grabbed Sailor Moon's hand. Leaping away, they took to the rooftops, the most direct route back to his apartment. In just a couple of minutes, they landed on the balcony and slipped through the still open door.

Letting her transformation fade, Serena looked around the room. A few things had been knocked over during the fight with Emerald, but for the most part the apartment had escaped unscathed.

Rini skipped back over to her coloring books and crayons and flipped the TV on to a popular anime show. Settling down, she continued what she had been doing earlier as if nothing had happened.

"Come keep me company while I cook?" Darien asked, grabbing her hand.

She nodded and followed him into the kitchen. She jumped up to sit on a clear spot on the counter, watching as he set about adding the ingredients he had prepared earlier into the skillet. The room was silent except for the sizzle from the pan and the soft music from the radio.

As she watched him standing in front of the stove, she realized how tense his shoulders were. "Darien, is everything okay?"

As if those words had broken the ice, her turned to look at her with blazing eyes. "No, things are not all right. We need to seriously sit down and talk about everything that's happened today. I almost lost you. And don't think I've forgotten about that nightmare you had earlier. Something big is going on here, Serena, and I think we need to be honest about everything. I'm afraid if we're not, this whole thing could blow up in our faces. I've got a bad feeling."

She slid from the counter to walk over and wrap her arms around his waist. "You're right. I should have told you that I was having nightmares and not sleeping. I just didn't want to worry you. But I don't want this to ruin our dinner and movie. We'll talk afterward."

He gritted his teeth. "You're just going to put this off until your curfew's up and then it will be too late. I would prefer to not have to sneak into your room and have this conversation there. Damn it, Serenity! You're not getting out of this that easy."

She froze; not only at his tone, but also at the name he had called her. Although they were Serenity and Endymion's reincarnations, they had never called each other by those names. She looked deep into his eyes and saw the warring and conflicting emotions there, and it concerned her.

She laid a hand on his cheek. "Sweetie, what happened to you today? Something's changed."

He ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I don't know. I just don't feel like myself. I got a new power today. It seems that I can control the power of the Earth since I'm Endymion's reincarnation. It freed me from that crazy woman earlier. Then this phantom voice started speaking to me inside my head. It encouraged me to use it to defeat that droid that attacked you."

Serena stepped back, eyes wide. So Darien was hearing a voice too? And he had called her Serenity. Were they slowly being taken over by the spirits of their past selves? Was that what her dream was about? Was Serenity going to take her over and erase Serena Tsukino from existence? Would it happen to Darien as well? Would he become Endymion?

She fervently hoped not. While she treasured some of her memories from the Silver Millennium, she enjoyed her life here. She was happy being who she was. She didn't want to go back to being the princess she was a thousand years before. And she sure didn't want Darien to change either. She loved him exactly the way he was.

"You're right, we do need to talk," she agreed with him. She took her cell phone from her pocket and pressed a number before holding the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Raye," he heard her side of the conversation. "Yeah, I'm cool. Listen, can I tell my mom that I'm staying with you tonight?…No…Yes…You know it's not like that…Okay, well can you pass it on to the others that we're meeting tomorrow?…Noon, at the arcade. Now go have fun. I'll talk to you later."

"What was that about?" Darien asked as she disconnected the call.

She held a hand up, motioning him to be silent as she pressed another button and put the phone back up to her ear. "Hey mom, is it okay if Rini and I stay at Raye's tonight?…Yeah, it's kind of a spur of the moment sleepover. We're thinking of going shopping tomorrow, so we might not be home until tomorrow afternoon, if that's okay with you…Thanks mom…I love you too, bye."

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" Darien asked, arching an eyebrow. "You're going to stay at Raye's tonight?"

She smiled impishly and gave him a quick kiss. "Of course not, silly. I just wanted to give us time to have our little talk without interruptions or being pressed for time. Now we have all night."

"Oh," he said. Then his mind processed her words. "Wait a minute! Are you saying that you're going to spend the night here?"

"That's the general idea," she replied, hopping back onto the counter where she had sat earlier. "Now where's this dinner you promised me?"

He sputtered. "Serena, you can't stay here. What would people think? What if your dad finds out? It'll be my funeral."

She sighed and shook her head. "Don't worry, Darien. My dad won't find out. And as far as your other concerns go, we're over the age of consent. If we want to spend the night together, we can. Nobody will say anything."

The stubborn set of her chin told him that he wasn't winning this fight. He resigned himself to the fact that his girlfriend was going to be in his apartment with him all night. At least Rini was there, that would help keep things from going to far. But what about when the little girl fell asleep?

He sighed deeply. It was going to be a long night.

**A/N **Yay! Darien came to the rescue, and he's started connecting with his powers. That is the one thing that I have always loved about the manga versus the anime. Naoko-san developed his character to be much more powerful than how he was portrayed in the anime. Don't get me wrong, the roses are romantic and all, but come on, how much damage could they do to a powerful enemy. He is the prince of earth, why shouldn't he have the powers of his planet like the others do?

Coming up, Serena and Darien try to figure out who their little invisible friends are and what they want. Will Serena's nightmare come true? Hmm…we'll see. Don't forget to press the button below and tell me what you think. I just love reviews, they keep me motivated. See ya next time!

~Sere~


	15. Save the Last Dance for Me

**A/N **I know…I know, this is incredibly late. I can only claim that spring fever set in on me. I've been on Spring Break this week and I got out of town for a few days and spent some quality time with my family. But now I'm back and energized and ready to continue with my writing. Even though this is a repost of an older story, I am making huge improvements on it, and I came up with some great ideas while on vacation. So we'll see what happens. Time to hand out hugs to my wonderful reviewers. BIG HUGS TO:

**Seredhiel05**

**snoopykid**

**ange de l'aube**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**tiny2008**

**celestialwitch**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**ElisabethBoleyn**

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x**

**chimichurri**

**bakagirl123**

**xo Usako ox**

**GoldenDragon326**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**not telling**

**S dot Serenity**

**sailorvs4**

**CrazyLikeaFox**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**samxe**

**rainbabie**

**Fedski**

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 15

Save the Last Dance for Me

"You messed up, Emerald," the hooded figure said menacingly to the woman before him. "I gave you a simple mission. All you had to do is capture the child and bring her to me. Very simple. Instead you allowed your jealousy for the moon princess to cloud your judgment once more."

"A thousand apologies, Wiseman," Emerald replied, giving a short bow and sounding anything but sincere.

Wiseman appraised her for a long moment. "I freed you from Diamond's imprisonment because you agreed to help me in this quest. I thought I made myself perfectly clear on the subject. I need the Rabbit to complete our plans. In order for her to exist, Serenity and Endymion must be allowed to live for now. Once we have her securely in our grasp, we will then be able to return to the future and destroy Crystal Tokyo."

Emerald's mouth twisted up in distaste. "I apologize once more. I lost myself when I saw Serenity. I hate to see my dear Prince Diamond suffering from the spell that witch has cast on him. It will not happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Wiseman returned harshly. "You put our mission in extreme danger with your little stunt. Not only did you almost kill Serenity, but you attacked Endymion as well. You better learn some self control Emerald, or you will become useless, and therefore dispensable."

A shiver of fear raced down the woman's spine. She knew this wasn't an idle threat. She had seen how callously Rubeus, Katzy, Prizma, Bertie, and Avery had been cast aside without a second thought. If she had any hopes of eventually being with her prince, she would have to bide her time. She would get her chance to take her revenge on the _'perfect'_ Neo Queen Serenity.

She bowed her head. "I understand, Wiseman. I will redeem myself. You have my word, I will deliver the Rabbit to you."

The door to the chamber flew open. Diamond stalked in, his long cape snapping behind him. He eyed the pair in front of him with furious eyes.

"Would either of you like to tell me," he began in a low, deadly voice, "why an unauthorized droid was loose in Juuban Park earlier and why it felt the need to try to kill Serenity?"

Emerald scrambled over to him and threw herself to her knees in front of him. "My prince, I'm sorry that it happened. I didn't mean for…"

"What are you doing out of your chamber?" Diamond snapped. "I thought I made it clear that you weren't to leave for any reason."

Wiseman floated forward. "I'm afraid that fault lies with me, your highness. I saw an opportunity to capture the Rabbit and needed some assistance. You and Sapphire have been so busy lately with your own plans that I asked Emerald for her help. Unfortunately the droid malfunctioned and Serenity was caught in the crossfire. I can assure you that it won't happen again."

Emerald's eyes widened as she heard the lie slip easily from the depths of Wiseman's cloak. She had been afraid that he would sell her out and leave her to face Diamond's wrath.

The silver haired prince's eyes narrowed. "So you are still determined to capture that little abomination?"

The hooded head bowed, trying to appear subservient. "With your permission of course, Prince Diamond. I feel that the child could be useful to us."

Diamond was silent for a moment. "Fine, but proceed with caution. I don't want any more accidents to occur."

"As you wish," Wiseman replied smoothly.

Diamond knelt down to face the woman in front of him. He trailed his fingers down her cheek, making her eyes burn with hope. "Emerald, I release you from your confinement. I also give you permission to assist Wiseman in his plans."

She stared into his lavender eyes with a sheen of tears shining in her own. "Thank you, my prince. I promise I will not let you down."

He was now stroking her neck. "I'm sure you won't, Emerald." His fingers suddenly tightened around her throat in an unbreakable grip. "Because if you betray my trust again I will kill you myself. Is that understood?"

She nodded her head quickly, unable to speak around the choking fingers. He released her abruptly, and she desperately sucked in large amounts of air. She looked up at Diamond as he stood, disbelieving tears streaking her cheeks.

He stared at her coldly for a long, agonizing moment before turning silently and leaving the room.

Emerald felt as if her heart were breaking as she watched him go. Her poor Diamond had changed so much since he had been bewitched by that damn Neo Queen Serenity. He used to look at her with soft, loving eyes. He used to lie beside her at night and speak of the future they would have together. His voice had always been gentle as he whispered words of love in her ear throughout the long nights they had spent together. Then he had met _her._

She raised a hand to her tender, aching neck. What had happened to her love? He was no longer the man he used to be. Her Diamond would have never raised a hand to her, much less threaten her with death. There had to be a way to turn him back into himself again.

Her eyes hardened. She knew how to do it. She had to destroy Serenity once and for all. But since she couldn't touch her physically, she would shatter her emotionally. Let's see how far the mighty queen would fall when her only daughter was ripped from her.

She wiped the offending wetness from her cheeks as she stood and turned to face Wiseman once more. When she spoke her voice was cutting. "I will get that child for you tonight, but I want one promise from you. When we finally conquer Crystal Tokyo and invade the palace, I want to be the one to strike the killing blow to Serenity. I will be the one to free my prince from the hold she has over him."

"Agreed," Wiseman acquiesced after a moment of quiet appraisal. "When the time comes, you may kill the queen."

* * *

Darien's nose twitched as what had to be one of the most heavenly smells in the world tickled his nose and penetrated through the fuzzy layers of his sleep clouded brain. Mmm…was that coffee?

He blinked his eyes open and stared around the room for a moment in complete confusion. Why was he passed out on his couch instead of snoozing comfortably in his king size bed in the room down the hall?

He sat up with a groan as he rubbed the back of his neck, trying to relieve the crick in it that had formed over night. He stretched and felt his back pop in a few places. His couch may be comfortable to sit on or to lounge around watching TV, but it definitely wasn't the best place for sleeping.

Completely disoriented, he staggered to his feet. It seemed his brain was having a hard time getting started this morning. He needed caffeine badly.

He stumbled into the kitchen and immediately went to the coffee maker where a half full pot of the steaming brew sat waiting. He grabbed a mug out of a nearby cabinet and poured it full. He lifted the mug to his face and inhaled the addicting aroma. Unable to wait, he took a tiny sip. It burned his tongue a little, but it was worth it.

As he stood there savoring the precious java, a thought struck him. Where had this coffee come from? He knew he hadn't made it. So who did?

Slowly his brain began firing on all cylinders, and memories of the night before flooded his mind.

Serena and Rini had stayed the night. Once the little girl had gotten sleepy, they had tucked her into his bed. Things had turned serious, as he had demanded she tell him about the nightmares she had been having. She had spilled it all, the dreams, the mysterious voice in her head, her fear that something was going to happen to her to make her hurt him and her friends, nothing had been held back.

He had returned the favor, telling her what little he new about the new power that he suddenly seemed to have and his own experience with having an unfamiliar voice that only he seemed the be able to hear.

This had seemed to upset her more than her own terrifying experiences she had been going through lately. The lack of sleep and stress, coupled with the fact that she had come within inches of dying that day had finally caught up with her. She had broken down into tears and he had held her while she cried.

She had eventually worn herself out and had fallen asleep, curled up on his chest as he lay on the couch. He had watched her intently as she slept. Her nose and the skin around her eyes had been swollen and red, and her cheeks had been stained with tears, but to him she had looked like a beautiful golden angel. Her long silky hair had been spread over them like a blanket.

At some point he must have fallen asleep himself. Looking back now, he was extremely proud of himself. He had been all worked up and nervous, wondering if he would be able to control himself while having his ravishing girlfriend with him all night, but it seemed to be all for nothing. He had been content to just hold her and offer her comfort. Thoughts of anything of a more intimate nature had never even crossed his mind.

He carried his steaming mug out of the kitchen, wondering where his wayward girlfriend could have gotten off to. Obviously she was the one who had started the coffee, and from the looks of it had indulged in a cup or two herself.

He turned toward the hallway, thinking that maybe she was in the bathroom. Then his lips turned up in a smile. Knowing Serena as he did, there was also a possibility that she had decided that it was too early to be up and about and decided to seek the comfort of his bed with Rini.

A flicker of movement from the balcony door caught his eye. He changed direction and crossed over to the glass door and looked out.

Serena sat on one of the lounge chairs, swathed in a blanket that he usually kept draped over the back of the couch. She had her hands wrapped around her own mug of coffee as she stared out over the city in the early morning light.

He slid the door open and stepped out into the crisp morning air to join her. "Good morning."

She turned to face him with a small smile. "Good morning."

He took in her features. She still looked tired. The purple shadows were still present under her eyes. "It's unusual to see you up this early."

She shrugged. "I woke up and couldn't sleep anymore. I figured I might as well get up instead of just laying there crushing you."

He chuckled lightly. "There's no way you could crush me. You're surprisingly light considering the way you eat. Lifting you is like lifting a feather."

She arched a brow at him. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not. On one hand you make me feel good about my weight, and then you have to take a jab at my eating habits. I can't help it if I enjoy food. I'm just glad that I seem to have a fast metabolism. It would be bad if I started bursting out of my scout uniform.

Darien almost choked on the sip of coffee that he had just taken. He had a sudden image in his head of Sailor Moon in her form fitting uniform. The tight bodysuit left little to the imagination as it was. Of course, the damn large red bow on her chest had always provided a certain amount of camouflage, but he had a sudden vision of certain parts of her anatomy springing free from their confinement and popping out over the bow.

He quickly took a seat to hide the fact that a certain body parts of his own had begun to stir to life at his thoughts. He tried to push them out of his mind and searched for something to say."

"So, um…" he began. "You must have been up for a while. You look like you could still use some more rest."

She smiled softly. "I'm okay. I got a little sleep. I just find it hard to sleep for long periods of time anymore."

He eyed her critically. "You didn't have the dream again, did you?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't. But I think it was the fear that I would that woke me up."

He nodded in understanding. After all, he had recently gone through an experience similar to what she was going through. When he had been tortured with the dreams that had shown him Serena's death, he had jerked himself awake on several occasions before the nightmare had a chance to start, terrified that he was going to see the frightening images again. Even now, weeks later, it still haunted him sometimes.

They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. The muffled sounds of the waking city began to filter up to them. Then a bright musical tone began playing from somewhere, startling both of them and making them jump.

Serena giggled as she pulled her cell phone out from under the blanket cocoon she was wrapped in. She the display screen a quizzical look for a moment before opening the phone and asking hesitantly, "Mina?"

She jerked the phone away from her ear and the sound of a high pitched, excited voice bubbled over the line, carrying over to where Darien was sitting. He couldn't make out the words that were being gushed over the line.

Serena let out an exasperated sigh and carefully put the phone back to her ear. "Whoa, back up, Mina. Do you have any idea what time it is? I've never known you to crack an eyelid before noon on a Saturday morning unless you absolutely have to, much less sounding as disgustingly cheerful as you do right now."

She paused as she listened to whatever it was that Mina had to tell her. It must have been good news, because a wide smile broke across her face and her eyes began to sparkle excitedly. "Omigosh, are you serious? Are the others going too?"

Darien smiled to himself as he took another sip of coffee and watched her over the rim of his cup. The sight of her bright eyes and flushed cheeks made his breath hitch in his throat.

'_She is beautiful, isn't she?'_

Darien groaned inside. It seemed that his new _friend _had decided to return.

_'Oh great, you're back. Would you mind telling me exactly who the hell you are and what you're doing here?'_

There was an amused chuckle, and it irritated him. _'What is so damn funny?'_

_'You are. Here you are, with a beautiful woman in your apartment, and you're just sitting here sipping coffee like it's no big deal. Your self control is amazing.'_

Darien almost snorted out loud. _'So what do you think I should do, jump her just because she's here? I have more respect for her than that.'_

_'Of course I'm not saying that. Serenity is a princess, not a scullery maid, and she should be treated as such.'_

_'Serena, not Serenity,'_ Darien corrected. _'Serenity was a thousand years ago. She is Serena now.'_

_'Serena, Serenity, it doesn't matter what name you call her. They're both the same person in my mind.'_

Darien mentally rolled his eyes. _'Which brings me back to my original question. Who are you and what do you want?'_

He heard a sigh. _'Who I am is unimportant really. I guess the easiest way to put it is that I'm a part of you. As for what I'm doing here, well, I'm here as a sort of guide. You're facing a big fight in the future, and you've only just come into your powers. I'm here to help.'_

Darien was skeptical. _'So what does my personal relationship with Serena have to do with that? As far as I'm concerned that's none of your concern.'_

_'Okay, okay, no since getting worked up. I was just trying to give you a friendly word of advice. You love the girl, so it's about time you started acting like it instead of being more like a best friend that likes to steal kisses every now and then. You're her boyfriend. You should be taking her out. She deserves to be wined and dined like the lady she is.'_

This burst of insight was enlightening to Darien. It was true. While everyone used the term "dating" to describe his and Serena's relationship, the truth was that they dated very little. Most of the time they ended up at the arcade or hanging out around here. They had gone to see a movie a couple of weeks ago, but that was about it.

He stared over at his girlfriend's animated features. He had been so stupid. She was sixteen years old. Of course she would want to go out to see and do things with him instead of always sticking with the familiar. True, they were kept busy with the enemy, either fighting them or anticipating their next move, but that was no excuse for not showing her a good time every now and then.

_'Why is he staring at me like that?'_ Serena was thinking to herself. _' I know my hair is tangled and my clothes are wrinkled from sleeping in them, but does he have to make it so obvious?'_

Mina was still blabbing away in her ear. But over the sound of her excited voice, another one intruded.

_'Oh please! Like he would ever even notice that. You could prance around in front of him in a potato sack and he wouldn't notice. Look at his eyes. He's not paying attention to the way you look.'_

It was true. His eyes delved deep into hers, seeing past everything that was on the surface and into her very soul.

"So, Serena. Are you guys in or not?" Mina was asking through the phone.

Serena shook herself and brought her mind back to the conversation she'd been having with Mina. "Um, I don't know. We'll have to talk about it. I'll get back with you later. We're still meeting at noon, right?"

"Yeah. We'll be there," Mina reassured her. "I'll catch you later. I need to call Raye so we can coordinate. Bye!"

"Bye," Serena said and disconnected the call.

Darien watched her humorously. "So what was that all about?"

Serena waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, nothing much. Mina was just telling me about this party that Kyle invited her to go to tonight. You know that his dad and the other guy's dads are all business partners, right? Well they're having some kind of a thing and the guys all invited the girls. It's supposed to be pretty fancy. We've been invited too, but I told Mina I would get back to her."

He heard the wistful sound in her voice. This was just the chance he needed. "Do you want to go? We can if you do."

She tried to keep her face calm, but she couldn't quite hide the excitement in her eyes. "Really? We don't have to. I'm sure you have something else you'd rather…"

He put a finger to her lips. "Serena, do you want to go or not?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then we're going," he told her. "It'll be kind of nice to get out for a change."

She let out a squeal and threw herself at him. "Are you serious? This is great! I already have the perfect dress. I bought it way back…well before the whole Beryl thing started. I haven't even had the chance to wear it yet. But are you sure you want to go? I know you're usually a pretty private person and prefer to avoid crowds."

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, glad to see a genuine smile on her face. Maybe for tonight he could make all of her problems fade away. She wouldn't have to worry about being Sailor Moon or protecting the planet. She could just enjoy being a carefree teenager.

"I'm sure," he reassured her, cupping her cheek in his palm. Her eyes were glittering with so much happiness that he could feel it pour over into him. He lowered his head to hers and lightly kissed her lips.

Her response was instant. Her arms tightened around his neck as she pulled him even closer. Her lips parted under his, and she couldn't help but moan slightly when his tongue touched hers.

A sound from the door had them jumping apart. They turned to see a tousled haired Rini standing there, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"I'm hungry," the little girl mumbled around a yawn. "May I have some breakfast, please?"

Serena smiled brightly and scrambled off of Darien's lap. "Of course you can. What are you in the mood for?"

"May I have some pancakes?" Rini asked hopefully.

"Great!" Serena exclaimed. "At least you picked out something that I actually know how to cook. I used to be quite hopeless in the kitchen, but luckily my mom and Lita have taken pity on me. Pancakes just happen to be one thing that I have mastered. I also make a decent chicken curry. Do you like curry, Rini?"

The pink head nodded. "My mom makes it all the time. It's mine and my dad's favorite dish."

Darien chuckled. "I'm quite partial to curry myself. I've tried making it, but it never quite comes out right."

Serena's face held a triumphant grin. "Well then, maybe I'll just have to cook for you two one night. You've never tasted curry until you've had Serena Tsukino's secret recipe. I promise it will be unlike anything you've ever eaten before."

"If you only knew," Rini muttered under her breath, a sad expression momentarily marring her face.

"What was that, Rini?" Serena asked curiously.

The little girl pasted a wide smile on her face. "Nothing. May I watch cartons until breakfast is ready."

"Sure," Serena told her. "I'll call you when it's done."

Darien followed them inside and then went to stand in the doorway of his kitchen, watching his blonde goddess flitting around the room gathering what she needed to make the meal. He followed every tiny move she made with intense eyes.

When she bent down to retrieve his griddle from under the counter, he almost groaned out loud. She had no idea what an incredibly sexy sight she was like that. He felt heat rise to his cheeks.

He cleared his throat. "Um…do I have time to grab a shower before breakfast."

She shot him a brilliant smile. "Sure, as long as you don't take too long. It doesn't take me long to whip up a batch of pancakes."

"Okay," he said, sounding a little strangled. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

He escaped the kitchen and almost ran down the hall to his bedroom. He opened the closet and some drawers, grabbing a change of clothes quickly before hurrying to the bathroom.

He started the shower to let the water heat and then turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. His entire face was beet red, and he was surprised to find that his hands were shaking.

"Get a grip, Shields," he growled at the face in the mirror. "If you keep this up you're going to end up scaring her away. Is that what you want?"

Shaking his head, he quickly shed his clothes and stepped into the glass shower. The warm water felt soothing as it washed over him. He was reaching for the shampoo, when a sudden vision popped into his head.

_Serenity was standing before him; her back was to him as she stared out a large window wistfully. She was illuminated by a faint light that shown through the glass, making her pearly skin glow softly._

_Then she turned to him, a wondrous smile lighting up her delicate features. She held out her arms to him and he gave in, pulling her tightly against him. His lips sought hers, and she responded eagerly, returning his passion with her own._

_Without breaking the kiss, he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the nearby bed. He laid her on the white satin gently before following her down and covering her body with his. Their lips met again and again, growing more frantic in their movements as the minutes passed._

_Serenity finally pulled away with a gasp. "Endymion, my love. How I have missed you. I wasn't sure how soon I would be able to see you again."_

_"Sweet Serenity," he groaned, kissing the column of her neck. "I've missed you too. I promised you I would come whenever I could."_

_She leaned up and captured his ear with her lips, nibbling gently on it before breathing a soft breath into it. Tremors racked his body as he attacked her collarbone, nipping at the skin before soothing it with his tongue._

_She let out a low moan. "Endymion, please stop torturing me. I have waited so long to have you with me again. Love me."_

_"Always," he whispered, reaching for the zipper of her dress._"

Darien's whole body jerked as the vision abruptly ended. "Damn it!" he cursed, snapping his head back to collide with the shower wall with a thud. He was dealing with enough pent up sexual frustration without being haunted by erotic memories of what had happened between his and Serena's past incarnations.

He made an irritated sound in the back of his throat and reached a hand out to twist the hot water knob off. The breath hissed between his teeth as the water pelting down on him turned icy cold. It felt like little needles were burying themselves into his skin, but at least it got his mind off of the potentially dangerous subject.

* * *

Diamond looked around the large ballroom. "So this is the place, huh?"

Next to him, Sapphire breathed out a weary sigh. "According to my sources it is. The party she is attending tonight is to be held here. It's some kind of an anniversary gala for the company that the fathers of Endymion's generals run. All of the scouts and generals, along with the prince and princess should be here."

"Excellent," Diamond murmured with an excited glint in his eye. "All of the eggs will be in one basket. And with the large crowd, it shouldn't be a problem to catch them on their own. This will be the last place that they would expect us to turn up, so their guard will be down."

Diamond was thrilled. Every since Serenity had regained control of the Silver Crystal, it had become increasingly difficult to spy on her. It would have been easier if he had been able to still pose as a student at her school, but he had blown that cover when he had threatened her in the park that day.

He had caught a lucky break that morning when he had been wandering the city and had come across that annoying blonde scout, Sailor Venus, in her civilian form. She had been chattering away on a cell phone when he caught her saying his fair princess's name.

A little eavesdropping had given him a wealth of information. He now knew where all of his enemies would be at one time. Being able to easily put his hands on them should be all the insurance he needed to ensure Serenity's cooperation. He had warned her that he would target them if she were unwilling to give him what he wanted.

A sly smirk turned up his lips. Tonight was the night that all of his plans would fall into place. Once he had Serenity and the Silver Crystal in his grasp, the future would change. Time would begin to warp, making the defenses around the Crystal Palace begin to crumble. Then finally, they would be able to take control. He would become the ruler of the planet with Serenity at his side as queen.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sapphire asked, looking up from where he was securing a small black crystal under the stage where the band would be playing later that evening. He felt bad for plotting against Sailor Moon and the others, but Diamond was his brother. Until he could make him see reason, he had no choice but to go along with him.

"Of course I'm sure, Sapphire!" Diamond snapped. "I tried to go about this diplomatically, but she has pushed my hand." He hated that the sleeping goddess of Crystal Tokyo, Neo Queen Serenity, would have to be sacrificed in this plan, but having her more youthful version with him would more than compensate for it. She would be his to mold into his ideal queen.

"If you say so," Sapphire muttered to himself.

"Stop worrying so much, brother," Diamond told him. "All will work out as planned."

_'Save the last dance for me, Serenity,'_ he thought gleefully. _'Tonight your true prince will claim you.'_

* * *

Serena's eyes widened and she could barely contain a shriek of excitement as she got her first look into the grand ballroom of the luxurious hotel. She clasped the black clad arm next to her tightly as she stared in wonder.

The large chandeliers overhead had been turned down to their dimmest setting, allowing the room to be lit by the softly twinkling strands of lights that had been strung around the room.

"Wow," she sighed breathlessly. "This is amazing."

Darien grinned at her awestruck expression. She had the look of a child that had just woken up on Christmas morning to discover that they had gotten everything they had asked for and didn't quite know which gift to go to first.

"Now aren't you glad that I insisted we come?" he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes. This is just like a fairytale come to life."

He chuckled and made sure her arm was securely through his before leading her the rest of the way into the ballroom. A wave of nostalgia hit him as another vision from his past hit him.

He could see himself and Serenity the way they had been the last night on the moon. Queen Serenity had given a ball for them to announce their engagement and they had walked in together much as were doing now. He could almost hear the voice that had announced them that night.

"Your Majesty, Queen Serenity and honored guests, it gives me great pleasure to present to you their royal highnesses, and soon to be wed, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and Prince Endymion of Earth."

He shook off the feeling of déjà vu as he forced his mind to return to the present. It didn't matter what he and Serena had been in their past lives. All that was important was who they were now.

"Serena!" an impossibly excited squeal came from nearby. Mina rushed up to them, looking like the goddess Aphrodite herself in a spaghetti strapped dress of her signature orange color. The skirt flared out slightly to right above her knee. She had traded her usual red bow for an orange one and the ends of her hair had been curled.

"Have you ever seen anything like this?" she gushed, grabbing Serena's hand. "These people really know how to put on a party, don't they?"

"Um hmm…" Serena murmured, still slightly in awe.

"You're late, Meatball Head!" Raye snapped, joining them along with Lita and Amy.

The raven-haired priestess looked stunning in a strapless, knee length red sheath. Her hung straight and to her waist, gleaming in the low light. She also wore a pair of killer red heels that made her Sailor Mars shoes pale in comparison.

"Give her a break, Raye," Lita interjected. From the looks of her I say it was time well spent."

Amy nodded next to her. "You do look lovely, Serena. I remember when you bought that dress. You always said that you would probably never have an opportunity to wear it."

Serena smiled as she smoothed a hand over her skirt. The dress white as snow with ruffled off the shoulders straps. The skirt was made of several layers of overlaying gauzy chiffon that went to her mid calf and seemed to float when she walked.

"Thanks. You girls look great too," she said, returning the compliments.

Lita had tried, as usual, to downplay her above average height by wearing a long dress of forest green that went to her ankles. It had wide shoulder straps and the skirt gradually widened as it went down. She had paired it with a pair of matching ballet flats. Her hair was also out of its usual ponytail and her auburn curls fell around her shoulders.

As always, Amy looked sweet and demure. Her ice blue dress had short, capped sleeves and the skirt went to right below her knees. Simple white flats were on her feet. Someone, probably Mina, had attacked her short blue hair with a curling iron and it fluffed out prettily around her face.

"So where are the guys?" Serena asked, looking around for them.

"Over there," Mina replied, waving a hand carelessly. "Their parents wanted to speak to them for a minute. Guess what! I met Kyle's mom, and she's so sweet."

"And Nick's dad is so funny," Lita chuckled. "You should hear him and Jake's dad together. They're a total riot."

Raye snorted. "Yeah, a total riot. It's easy to see where Jake got his warped sense of humor. I feel for his poor mother having to put up with two of them."

Serena arched a brow. "Sooo…you've met the parents? That's big. Sounds like things are getting serious."

"Oh please!" Raye exclaimed. "Like anyone could get serious with that moron. He's lucky he's halfway decent looking or nobody would have anything to with him at all."

"You always have known how to pay a guy a compliment, Firefly," Jake's voice interrupted as he appeared beside her and threw an arm around her shoulders. Kyle, Nick, and Zack were right behind him.

"See what I mean?" Raye grumbled, but she made no move to get out of his embrace. "Anyway, Amy's the one that received the biggest shock tonight."

"Why? What happened?" Serena asked.

Amy blushed and looked down, making Zack chuckle.

"Amy found out that she has known my mom most of her life," Zack explained. "Both of our mothers are doctors at the same hospital and are friends. It's really amazing that we've never crossed paths until now."

Amy had her hands over her burning cheeks, muttering. "I'll never hear the end of this. I saw your mom on her cell phone a few minutes ago. I just know she called my mom to tell her all about this. She'll be so ecstatic that she'll be impossible to live with from now on."

Zack pouted. "I think I'm starting to feel offended. Is the thought of dating me that embarrassing?"

The dark blue head swung back and forth. "No, no, it's not that. It's just that my mom has been telling me lately that I should get out more and stop studying so much. She even said something the other day about how I was sixteen now and should be dating. She'll be gaga when she hears."

A round of chuckles and giggles came from the rest of the group, causing Amy's blush to grow impossibly redder. About that time, the band on the stage across the room began playing, catching everyone's attention.

Kyle held out a hand to Mina. "Would you like to dance?"

Mina tossed her golden hair behind her shoulder and took his hand. "I would love to."

A silent agreement seemed to be reached between Lita and Nick, and they headed for the dance floor a few seconds later, followed by Amy and Zack.

"So ya wanna take a spin?" Jake asked, wagging his eyebrows at Raye.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine! But the first time you step on my toes. I will light your ass on fire. That's a promise."

Jake just grinned and grabbed her hand, leading her quickly to the dance floor. Leaving Serena and Darien alone.

Darien looked down into Serena's big blue eyes and smiled. "Well everyone else is dancing. Did you want to join them?"

Her eyes widened and some emotion that looked a lot like fear crossed her face. She shook her head vehemently and actually took a step back.

Darien was instantly concerned at her reaction. "Serena, what's wrong?"

She looked at him with sad eyes that were beginning to sparkle with unshed tears. "I can't dance," she mumbled.

"What?" he asked, sure he had misunderstood her.

Her look hardened. "I said, I can't dance. I'm a klutzy meatball head, remember? It's usually a miracle if I can walk a whole block without falling on my face."

That had been true when he had first met her. At fourteen, she had been in the process of becoming adjusted to a body that suddenly seemed to be all gangly arms and long legs. She had come a long way since then, especially in the last six months. Her body had finally grown into proportion and being Sailor Moon had helped her attain some grace. She still had a clumsy moment every now and then, but they were much less frequent than what they used to be.

He grinned at her. "Oh, come on. It won't be that bad. You won't even have to do much. Just hold on and follow me, okay?"

She looked at him ruefully and then sighed. "All right. But don't say I didn't warn you. I don't want to hear any complaints when your feet are bruised because I trod all over them."

He drew an X over his chest with a finger. "I cross my heart. You will hear nothing from me. Now let's go. This is a great song to dance to."

He took her arm and she followed reluctantly until they reached the dance floor. She gulped as he took her in his arms and looked up to meet his eyes.

He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "Don't think about it so much. Just go with the flow."

As they began swaying gently to the music, a warm, comforting feeling came over her. She suddenly felt like she was floating on a cloud and all feelings of inadequacy left her. Staring into his ocean blue eyes, she felt as if she could stay like this forever.

* * *

Rini sighed as she crawled back in Serena's bedroom window. She had been feeling very melancholy tonight and had decided to sit on the roof for a while to gaze at the moon. It was something that she and her mother used to do all the time, and it always made her feel a little better.

The strain of being stuck here in the past was starting to wear on her. It was so hard to pretend that she was ignorant of all of the details, but Pluto had warned her before she came that things could change for the worst if she were to reveal too much about the future.

It was hard to keep her silence when she was so worried about her parents and what was happening at home. Having their past forms around was comforting, but it wasn't the same.

Yes. Rini was well aware of the fact that Serena and Darien were the past forms of her parents. She had known from the moment she fell on top of them at the park. Sure they were younger, but they still pretty much looked the same. And although they were Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion in the future, her parents had always called each other by their given names when they were alone with friends and family.

Rini grinned as she slid down from the window seat under the window and spied her two babysitters for the evening curled up on Serena's bed, fast asleep. Luna and Artemis tried to keep the little girl entertained this evening, but soon Rini had become engrossed in some of the mangas that were on Serena's bookshelves. Once she had settled in and started reading, the cats had curled up for a nap.

Her stomach growled, and she wondered if there was any of the chocolate cake that her grandmother had made today left in the kitchen. Deciding to go find out, she pounced on the bed next to the sleeping felines.

"Luna, Artemis," she chirped. "I'm going downstairs for a snack. Do you two want anything?"

The cats remained motionless, causing her to giggle. "Come on, guys. Wake up."

She poked each of them with a finger, but still got no response. She felt the first feelings of unease begin to trickle in. "Luna…Artemis, what's wrong? Why won't you wake up?"

There was a shrill laugh in the room as a hand wrapped painfully around her arm and jerked her off the bed. Rini was shocked to find Emerald to be standing there, her eyes blazing in rage and triumph.

"Well, well, well," Emerald drawled. "Looks like I snared a little rabbit in my trap. Hello, princess."

"What did you do to them?" Rini demanded, twisting and turning, trying to break free from the maniacal woman's grasp. But Emerald was much stronger and was able to hold on.

"Nothing much," Emerald replied. "I just needed to make sure that they didn't cause any trouble. Wiseman has plans for you, little princess. So you're coming with me."

"No, no. Let me go!" Rini shrieked. "I'm not going anywhere with you, lady!" She began crying hysterically at the thought of being taken by the enemy. Her moon symbol flared to life on her forehead.

"Oh no you don't you little brat!" Emerald cried, quickly covering Rini's face with a damp cloth. "There's no way that you're getting away this time. Have a taste of what I gave your little kitties. That'll make you behave."

Rini gasped as she felt the cloth press over her nose and mouth. She twisted her head, trying to get away from it, but it was no use. She eventually had to take a breath, and when she did, the fumes of the chloroform burned her nose and throat. Her body began feeling heavy and her vision darkened.

_'Mommy...Daddy...where are you?'_' she wailed inwardly as all went black. The last thing she heard was the sound of that horrible screeching laughter.

* * *

Serena sighed as the last strains of the music came to a close. She and Darien had been dancing for hours, only breaking every now and then to grab something to drink or eat and rest for a moment before hitting the floor again.

It had all passed in a blur. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be capable of dancing the way she had tonight. But once Darien had taken her in his arms, it was if she had become a different person. Her feet had fallen easily into the dance steps as if she had done them a thousand times before.

Of course, having a talented partner had been a big help too. Darien had led her through every dance with precision, effortlessly spinning and twirling her. He had seemed so different from usual, less reserved. He seemed to have come completely out of his shell, laughing and talking while they danced. There was a twinkle in his eyes that showed how much he was enjoying himself.

"I don't know about you, but I could use something to drink," he told her, a grin kicking up the corner of his mouth.

Still lost in a daze, she nodded and followed him to a nearby refreshment table where he poured them each a glass of punch. Kyle, Nick, Jake, and Zack were standing nearby, alone and looking a little worried.

Serena groaned. "Where are the girls? Please don't tell me you ran them off again."

"No," Kyle answered, sounding offended. "They said they were going to the restroom and would be right back. But that was ten minutes ago and they haven't come back yet."

Serena giggled. She was feeling a little lightheaded and was starting to think that the punch might be spiked. "You guys have a lot to learn about girls. When a group of two or more say they are going to the restroom, you can plan on it being ten minutes at the minimum. Since there are four of them, I would say you can count on twenty at least."

Nick's slate blue eyes were serious. "I don't know. Something about the situation just feels off."

Jake scoffed. He looked as if he'd had quite a few glasses of the possibly spiked punch himself. "That's women for ya. They're probably all in there comparing notes and gossiping about us. I can see them now with their pretty little heads pressed together, talking about which one of us is the best kisser and which one has tried to cop a feel. Too bad I outshine the rest of you."

Serena giggled again as Jake gave her an outrageous wink. Being reincarnated hadn't affected his personality at all. He was still just as big of a clown as he ever was. In the Silver Millennium, Jadeite had always been sure to liven up a party and bring a few laughs.

"I hate to say it, but that is a huge possibility," Serena admitted. "Did you want me to go and check on them?"

"No way!" Darien exclaimed, taking her hand lightly. "If you go in there you'll be caught up in the middle of it and then you won't be back for a half hour. Let the guys worry about their dates. Let's go out on the terrace and get some air."

"Okay," she agreed and let him lead her to the French doors that opened up onto a beautiful stone terrace.

It was surprisingly empty, but it was getting late. A lot of people had already left and the party was beginning to wind down. There was a breeze, and Serena sighed as it cooled her heated skin.

She leaned against the railing and stared up at the moon. "What a beautiful night."

"Yes it is," Darien commented, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "But nowhere near as beautiful as you are."

She turned in his arms and took in his flushed face. She felt yet another giggle rise up in her throat. She felt oddly giddy. "I think the punch was spiked."

He grinned down at her. "I think you're right." He reached a hand up to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

She suddenly felt breathless. "Many times. But I wouldn't mind hearing it again,"

He pulled her flush against him. "I love you, so much. I don't know how I ever survived until you came along. You are the angel that has lightened up my life."

Maybe it was the alcohol, or perhaps just the magic of what had been a perfect night, but Serena felt tears spring to her eyes at his words. She had never known that Darien could be so romantic. Her eyes fluttered closed as he bent down to meet her lips with his.

The kiss started out light at first, but as the long moments passed it deepened. After her initial surprise, she returned his intense passion with her own. Their lips clung together and parted as each of them clutched the other one to them.

The need for air sadly made them break apart before either of them was ready. Serena kept her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, holding him close as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

She felt his lips move as he whispered almost reverently, "Serenity."

She froze at the sound of that name. This was the second time in two days that he had called her that. In a sudden burst of insight, she thought about everything that had happened the last couple of days.

Darien received the power of Earth. He admitted that he was hearing a voice, just like she was. The way she seemed to dance like a pro, although she had always been hopeless in that regard, Darien's upbeat personality tonight. It was all suspicious.

Then she remembered her fears from the night before, that perhaps the voices they were hearing were their past selves and they were slowly trying to take over. She didn't want to lose herself or Darien to their past incarnations, but the fact that he had just called her Serenity made her think that it might actually be happening.

She pulled back from him abruptly, staring at him with wide, panicked eyes. His registered shock, then hurt, at her actions.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, taking a hesitant step toward her.

She jumped back another step, tears once again prickling her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe. I…I need a moment."

She turned a walked away as quickly as her white high heels would let her. She heard hurried footsteps behind her and cried out, "Could you please just give me a minute alone, Darien? I need to think."

She heard the steps stop and fled as quickly as she could through the doors and across the ballroom. There were only a handful of people left now and the band had wrapped up for the night. Serena glanced around, counting her blessings that she didn't see any of the scouts or generals. She knew that they would demand answers as to why she was upset, and she didn't feel like talking to anyone right now.

As she entered the foyer of the hotel she spied the ladies room. She ran to the door, ignoring the looks she received from the few people, and held her ear to the door to make sure that her friends weren't still in there gossiping. Not hearing anything, she pushed the door open.

Luck was with her and the room was empty. She quickly checked the stalls to make sure that she was really alone before locking the door so that no one could intrude on her little sanctuary. She crossed to the row of sinks, and in total disregard for the makeup she had carefully applied earlier in the evening, splashed cold water on her face.

She raised her head to stare at her reflection in the mirror. She took in her wide panicked eyes and the grim set of her lips. How different her expression looked now compared to the way it had appeared the rest of the evening. It had been such a magical night, but now it seemed so bleak.

_'Am I overreactig?'_ she asked herself. _'Am I making too much out of this? Maybe it was just an unconscious slip on his part. Perhaps the party atmospere just made him feel nostalgic and he didn't mean to call me Serenity.'_

She shook her head. If it had been just that, she could have overlooked it. But there was still the matter of Darien's whole demeanor that night, the way he had danced and his courteous and gentlemanly attitude. According to her memories of the distant past, that had been exactly the way that Endymion had behaved.

_'What are you doing hiding in here? I can't believe you are locked up in a bathroom when you could be in your prince's arms. Are you crazy or something?_'

She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool mirror. _'Go away! Get out of my head! I know what you're trying to do Serenity, and it's not going to work.'_

There was the sound of laughter in her head. _'You silly girl. You think Endymion and I are trying to take over you and your boyfriend? That's got to be the funniest thing I've ever heard.'_

Serena growled to herself, _'Well, I'm glad to see I'm such an amusing person.'_

The laughter stopped. _"I'm sorry Serena. It's just humorous to me that you think that we could possess you and Darien. In case you haven't connected the dots yet, we are you. You act like we are four separate people, but there are only two, you and Darien. Serenity and Endymion are simply a part of you. We always have been.'_

_"But...but...he's acted so different tonight,'_ Serena stammered. _'He just seemed so unlike himself. More like Endymion than my Darien.'_

Serenity laughed again. _'I'm sure Endymion has had a hand in steering Darien in the right direction. But I can assure you that he is completely himself. That's why I find it hard to understand why you are hiding in here instead of enjoying your time with him.'_

Suddenly Serena felt much lighter. She knew Serenity was right. While Darien had seemed to embrace some of the grace and charm of his past self tonight, there was no denying that he had still been himself. They had laughed and joked together as they had danced, the conversations as normal as ever between them. She had been a fool.

"Oh no," she groaned. "There's no telling what he thinks about me running off like that. I have to go find him."

She studied her reflection, grabbing a paper towel to pat her face dry before opening her small bag that was hanging from her wrist to take out her lip-gloss. She quickly tried to repair her face. After a minute she sighed and gave up.

"I guess this is as good as it gets," she muttered, smoothing a hand over her hair as she turned back to the door. She unlocked it and stepped out into the large foyer of the hotel.

She wasn't sure how long she had been locked up in the restroom arguing with herself, but it must have been a while because the foyer was completely empty. She glanced toward the ballroom and saw that it was now dark. Evidently the party was over. She wondered where all of her friends were.

She walked over to a set of glass doors that led out to a large flower garden. She couldn't imagine that everyone had left without her. She pushed open the doors and walked out into the garden. Maybe they were out here.

After looking around and not seeing anyone, she was beginning to feel irritated. How could nine people just up and disappear? They had to be around here somewhere.

A rustling sound caught her attention, and she turned toward it. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the dark figure striding down one of the paths back toward the terrace that led into the darkened ballroom. The jacket of the black suit was stretched across the broad shoulders of the person and the moonlight glinted off the slightly messy dark hair.

"Darien!" she cried, rushing after him. He must not have heard her, because he continued across the terrace and entered the ballroom through the double doors.

"Wait! Darien!" she called again, breaking into a run as she followed him into the dark room. She paused. It was hard to see anything in the murky gloom. She concentrated hard, looking for a sign of him in the room.

"Darien?" she said again softly, almost a whisper.

An arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her into the shadows and against a solid, warm male body. All she could make out was the dark hair and a brief flash of blue eyes.

She was giddy with relief, but couldn't help snapping, "Damn it, Darien! You scared the hell out of me."

He remained silent, but Serena had a feeling he was staring at her, at least as much as he could in the darkness. Then he pulled her tightly against him and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I'm sorry, Serena," he said softly. "I wish there was some way to get around this, but I have no choice."

She froze. That wasn't Darien's voice. But it was a voice that she had come to know recently. "Sapphire?"

He shook his head. "I tried to talk him out of this, but he wouldn't listen to reason."

Serena began to feel the first tremors of fear begin to shiver down her spine. "What…"

"Thank you, brother." Diamond's silky voice interrupted. "You did well in luring Serenity here. I appreciate it."

The thousands of little twinkling lights flared to life, showing the silver haired prince standing in the middle of the room. He wore a superior smirk as he eyed Serena up and down.

Goosebumps rose on her arms and she rubbed them vigorously. The way Diamond was looking at her was making her feel dirty and violated. As if he knew what she would look like without her dress on.

A maniacal gleam was in his lavender eyes. "You look utterly ravishing this evening, Serenity. Of course I would expect nothing less from the legendary moon princess. You are definitely a rare jewel among women."

Serena pushed away from Sapphire and put on a face of false bravado. "What do you want, Diamond?"

His smirk grew. "You already know the answer to that question, Serenity. I want you, pure and simple."

"Ha!" Serena barked out, sounding brave even though she was quaking on the inside. "Dream on, Buster! I thought I already made it clear to you how much I despise you. I would never willingly go anywhere with you."

He gave her a mocking grin. "Are you sure about that, my love? Wouldn't you like to see what a real man is like for once instead of that pathetic earth prince?"

"Hmm…" Serena mused, a triumphant smile appearing on her face. She pulled two items from her small bag on her wrist, her broach and her communicator. "Let's see how pathetic you think he is after he's wiped the floor with you. You're about to find out the hard way that Darien's no pushover."

She pressed the button on her communicator that was the symbol for Earth and waited a few seconds, expecting to see Darien's face pop onto the little screen. The seconds stretched out without any answer to her call. She started to feel concerned. Why wasn't he answering?

She pressed another button, the one that would put out a call to all of the scouts and generals. Again, there was no answer.

"What the hell?" she murmured. Where was everyone?

Diamond chuckled. "What's wrong, Serenity? Where are your friends, your champion? Have they left you all alone?"

"No way!" she shrieked. "They wouldn't do that to me. You've done something to them, haven't you? Where are they?"

"Now, now," Diamond admonished in a placating tone. "There's no sense in getting hysterical."

Her blue eyes blazed. "I'm not hysterical. I'm pissed! I know there's no way that they would ignore a call from me as long as they were able to answer. So I'll ask you again. Where are my friends?"

That self-serving smirk was back. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She saw red. "Of course I would, you bastard! You better not have hurt any of them. Now I'm telling you, I want to know what you've done with them."

The amusement drained from his face. "Fine. Just remember, you forced me to do this. All I asked was for you to come to me, but you refused. This was the only way I could get your attention."

He snapped his fingers, and then there was a burst of dark energy. The stage splintered, revealing a glowing black crystal underneath it. It let out a flash of dull light, and nine figures materialized around them. It was Tuxedo Mask, the scouts, and the generals. All of them were transformed, and all of them were held captive in pulsating ropes of dark energy.

The breath froze in her lungs. This was just like the scene from her nightmare. The only difference was that this time Rini was safe at home under the watchful eyes of Luna and Artemis.

Her friends looked as if the had been through hell. They were all covered in numerous cuts and bruises. Tuxedo Mask looked as if he had gotten the worst of it. A heavy stream of blood ran from a deep cut at his temple. He barely appeared to be conscious. The others were awake, but appeared to be completely worn out.

"No," Serena whispered in horror. Then louder, "What have you done to them, you monster?"

He arched a fine brow. "Nothing much…yet. It was simple enough to set my droids on them as they broke off alone or in small groups. They put up a valiant fight, but in the end they were easy enough to capture."

Her temper flared again. "I won't let you have them. Let's see how you stand up against me." She held up her broach. "Moon Crystal Power!"

There was a flash of bright light and a flurry of feathers and ribbons. After it faded, Sailor Moon stood where Serena had been a few seconds before. Her scepter appeared in her hand.

"No, Serena!" Sailor Mars cried.

"Get out of here!" Sailor Venus screamed.

"Go now while you can!" Sailor Jupiter demanded.

"Save yourself!" Sailor Mercury pleaded.

The generals all nodded their agreement with the scouts.

Tuxedo Mask raised his head to look at her with bleary, unfocused eyes. "Run…Serena."

She looked at each one of them with tear filled eyes. "No. I won't leave you guys. I can't. You are all part of my family. And I won't turn and run just to save myself. You mean everything to me. So I'll do what I can to save you."

"That's very noble of you, Serenity," Diamond drawled. "You are willing to sacrifice yourself to save your friends. Well that fits into my plans perfectly. Come with me now, and I'll set them free. It's as easy as that."

"Like I believe that!" she snapped. "Even if I was crazy enough to go through with your crazy plan, I'm not stupid enough to believe that you would just let them go. You're nothing but a psychotic leech, and I've had enough of you."

She raised her scepter in front of her and pointed it at him. She felt the power of the Silver Crystal spark and ignite. "Moon Scepter…"

He smiled and snapped his fingers. The dark piece of crystal flared again, and the ropes of energy around her friends crackled, making them moan in pain.

She cut off her attack and glared at him. "Stop it, Diamond!"

His eyes turned cold. "You are in no position to make demands, my dear Serenity. I am currently holding all the cards and the game is in my favor. The rules are simple. You come with me and I promise I'll let your little friends here go. They mean nothing to me. If you refuse, I will continue to hold on to them until you come to your senses and accept your future. It will not be pleasant for them, I assure you. I can also promise you this; if you attempt to kill me they will be dead before I am. With one snap of my fingers the dark crystal will zap the life from them."

The arm holding the moon scepter fell limply to her side. Her head bowed in defeat. Her tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Don't listen to him, Sere!" Jadeite yelled, groaning as he fought against his bonds, ignoring the jolts of energy slamming through his body. "That son of a bitch is just playing you. Go ahead and kick his ass! The rest of us can take care of ourselves. If that bastard would just let me go for just one minute…"

"Chill out, hothead!" Kunzite growled. "Getting mad isn't helping our situation."

Sailor Moon raised her reddened eyes to meet those of the one who had been like an older brother to her in her past life. "I'm sorry, Jed. I don't know what else to do. I won't gamble with your lives. No one will die because of me. I can't go through that again."

"No Serena," she heard the scouts whimper together.

"Serena," the rasping voice had her turning toward Darien. He was pale and shaking, but his deep blue eyes bored into hers with an intensity that stole her breath. "Jed is right. Don't worry about us. You know you can take out Diamond. Do it, love. We all believe in you."

"Time is ticking, Serenity." Diamond sneered. "Have you made your decision?"

Her eyes never left those of the one that she loved. She slowly nodded her head. "Yes. I have."

"And?" he demanded impatiently.

She turned to face him once more. "And I've decided you can go to hell!" She raised her scepter once more.

There was a shimmer next to him, and Emerald appeared. Her back was to Sailor Moon, but her shrill laughter bounced around the room.

"My prince," she gushed. "Look at what I accomplished. I believe Wiseman will be pleased."

Diamond glanced at her, and a broad smile lit up his face. "Very good, Emerald. Now if you don't mind, I would like to borrow your little prize for a moment." He reached out a snatched something from her arms.

The blood drained from Sailor Moon's face as she realized that what Emerald had been holding, and was now resting in Diamond's arms, was Rini's tiny body.

"No," she hissed.

Diamond looked exhilarated. "How perfect! You are willing to sacrifice the lives of your friends, but can you say the same for this little girl? A lost and lonely child that is so far from her home and family?"

She took a shaky breath. "If I surrender to you, will you let her go as well?"

His eyes glowed triumphantly. "I will. I have no use for her as long as I have you."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I will go with you." She took a hesitant step forward. "But you better let them go or you'll have me to deal with."

"I promised you, didn't I?" he replied smoothly. "They will be freed as long as you agree to go with me."

She walked over until she was standing directly in front of him. "Well, here I am. Now let them go."

He shifted Rini's limp body to one arm and held a hand out to her. "Then prove it. Take my hand."

She shut out the protests of her friends and Darien and slowly reached out to place her hand in his.

He smiled slyly. "Now you are mine."

A third eye appeared on his forehead, paralyzing her and pinning her to the spot. She tried frantically to move, but her body refused to cooperate. He wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and pulled her to him. She could only stare at him with beseeching eyes.

"Oh yes," he said in a placating tone. "I believe I made you a promise." He snapped his fingers and the ropes around her friends disappeared. They all fell limply to the floor.

In spite of their injuries and obvious exhaustion, they all staggered to their feet. Their eyes were fixed on their princess held in the clutches of the enemy.

"Diamond! Release her!" Tuxedo Mask bellowed in a strong voice that belied his incredibly weakened state. He took slow measured steps forward.

Sailor Moon felt the arm around her waist tighten, and she wished with all of her might that she could jerk away.

"Careful, Endymion," Diamond admonished. "You wouldn't want to take a chance of Serenity getting hurt in the crossfire, now would you?"

In a quick move, he swung his arm and sent Rini flying through the air. Tuxedo Mask caught her as she slammed into his chest, sending them both to the ground.

Diamond ignored Emerald's sputtering gasp of outrage and wrapped both arms around Sailor Moon before levitating them both several feet off the ground. "Let me make myself clear. I let all of you go this time because she asked me to. But rest assured, this is not over. We will meet again. And when we do, you will be destroyed. It will be amusing to see. Now if you will excuse me, I want to spend some quality time with my queen."

Sailor Moon tried vainly to turn her head, wanting to get a last glimpse of her love and her friends, but her eyes refused to move from the hypnotic pull of that strange eye on Diamond's forehead. She heard the screams of outrage from her friends and Tuxedo Mask's anguished, "Serena!" before everything went black.

**A/N **Uh oh! Diamond has Serena. What will happen next? Hmm…I'm sure Diamond has something evil, twisted, and incredibly hot in store for her. The battle of the prince's is about to heat up, Endymion vs. Diamond. A trip to the future is also coming where secrets will be revealed. This could get interesting. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be back as quick as I can with another update soon. If you get a chance, please leave me a review. I love hearing what all of you have to say. Catch ya later!

~Sere~


	16. A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

**A/N **Whoo hoo…two updates in only five days. I'm on a roll. Nah, seriously I've been working like mad on my Lunar Princess sequel and it's driving me insane. I have two different prologues written for it and almost ready to post, but I don't know which one I like better. So anyone that's planning on reading Galactic Trinity, let me know, should I start with the kids being born, or skip ahead a few years to when they start causing trouble? I'm soooo confused! Okay enough with that! Time for hugs. BIG HUGS TO:

**bakagirl123**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**Seredhiel05**

**celestialwitch **

**RainSummoner**

**GoldenDragon326**

**snoopykid **

**ange de l'aube**

**anime-lover10**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**tiny2008**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**Dbzsailormoonavatar**

**Fedski**

**xo Usako ox**

**chimichurri **

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**marylils**

**JungkO**

**torquoisepenutbutter**

**ilovetosmilee **

Thank you guys so much as always You are the greatest!

*****WARNING***** This chapter will involve physical violence against a woman by a man. There's no rape or anything, but I just thought I would warn you in the beginning. I personally think any man that would hit a woman is the lowest scum of the earth, but this is just how the story came out when I wrote it. Damn muse…lol. Now on with the show!

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 16

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

Serena sighed in her sleep. She felt herself waking up, but wasn't ready yet to leave her dream world. For the first time in days, she had been having the most wonderful dream. She and Darien had been dancing together like they had at the party, surrounded by white clouds as they floated together in each other's arms.

His dark blue eyes had looked down at hers intensely before he had captured her lips in the sweetest kiss she had ever felt. Even though it was a dream, it had brought tears to her eyes. He had swept her backwards and down to lie on the fluffy clouds as his body hovered over hers.

He stroked her cheek gently as he whispered to her, "I love you so much, Serena. More than anything else in this world. More than my own life."

She came more fully awake, becoming aware of her surroundings. The soft bed and the silk sheets under her felt almost as fluffy as the clouds had in her dream. Fingers were stroking her cheek, making her smile and turn her face into the hand. She heard a sharp intake of breath as she kissed the palm and giggled.

"Really, Darien," she mumbled sleepily. "As nice as this is, I'm not ready to wake up yet. I was having the most amazing dream."

The hand stilled on her face and she waited for his answering chuckle, but it never came. Just as she was about to open her eyes, she felt a sharp pain in her scalp as something wound into her hair and pulled hard.

Her eyes flew open to be confronted by an angry gaze of flashing lavender instead of stormy blue. A pained breath hissed between her teeth as she looked up into the face of her enemy and the star of her recent nightmares.

"Diamond," she growled as she glared up at him. He was lying next to her on a wide bed in an unfamiliar room. Her memory of what had happened in the hotel ballroom came rushing back with sudden clarity. She had surrendered to him to save the others. Now she was in his clutches.

The pressure on her scalp lessened as he relaxed the hand that he had wound into her golden hair. "My sweet, as much as it pleases me to see that you are finally awake, I must insist that you not say the name of that oafish fool of an earth prince in my presence. It angers me."

"Like I care!" she spat. "You got what you wanted. I gave myself up to you. What more do you want out of me?"

He grasped both of her wrists in one of his hands and pinned them to the mattress above her head. He rolled fully on top of her until her body was flush with his. "I want you, Serenity. I want all of you. I want to be the only man who claims you completely, mind, body, and soul."

She gasped in outrage as she felt his lips nibbling and sucking at the tender skin of her neck. "That's never going to happen, Diamond. You may have gotten me to come with you, but I will never be yours. Not as long as there's breath in my body."

His gleaming teeth bit into the tender skin where her neck met her shoulder, making her wince as he ground his hips against hers painfully.

"You seem to forget, princess," he rasped in her ear. "I am the one in control. I am the one with the power. You belong to me now."

She turned her head away as far as she could. "I am no one's possession, Diamond. I am my own person."

An evil glint entered his eyes as he smirked down at her. "Not anymore."

His lips crashed against hers, punishing, bruising. She kept hers firmly pressed together, not giving him an inch. After a minute of failing to get her to respond, he pulled back with a glare.

"Kiss me," he growled at her.

She returned his glare with one of her own. "No."

At her refusal, all signs of sanity left him. His eyes were wild and his movements erratic as he sat up and hauled her up against him. He grasped her chin between bruising fingers as he forced her to face him.

"If you will not give yourself to me willingly, then I will make you," he said in a deadly calm voice that sent shivers down her spine. She struggled in his grasp, trying her best to get away, but when that hypnotic third eye opened on his forehead, her body froze.

"That's better," he crooned as she went limp and he laid her back against the pillows. "Now maybe we can get to know each other a little better."

He kissed her again, and her now slack lips parted easily under his. Serena felt sick as she felt his tongue exploring all of the recesses of her mouth, but there was nothing she could do.

She felt his hand skim up her side, and realized belatedly that she was dressed in the same dress that she had worn to the party. She must have lost her transformation at some point while she had been asleep.

There was the sound of ripping fabric, and then cool air washed across her skin as the bodice of her dress loosened and fell in two pieces at her sides. His fingers trailed lightly over the bare skin of her stomach, and then continued on an upward journey to stroke the upper swell of her breasts that were exposed over the top of the strapless bra she was wearing.

"So beautiful," Diamond whispered reverently, his eyes glazed and lust filled. He leaned down and pressed an open mouthed kiss to the top of each breast.

Serena was screaming inside, but was unable to make any sound come out. How dare this bastard think that he could touch her like this? Even Darien had never gone as far as this before. Occasionally he had slid a hand under her shirt to caress her waist, but never had he seen her without a shirt on, much less put his hands or lips in the places that Diamond had.

He returned his attention to her lips once more and kissed her deeply as she lay there helpless. She began to really panic as she felt her skirt being pulled up and his hand was on her knee, sliding slowly up under the layers of fabric.

'_No, no, no! He can't do this to me! What do I do? He's got me trapped. Darien's the only one I would ever allow to touch me like this,' _she wailed to herself.

Serenity's voice started screaming in her head, and for once Serena was glad to hear it. _'Serena, you've got to fight against his hold! You can do it! Fight it! If you don't, he's going to end up doing more than just touching and kissing. Think of your prince.'_

'_Darien,'_ Serena thought longingly. _'You're the only one for me. I won't let him do this.'_

She concentrated hard, willing her body to move. Not even her pinky twitched in response. So she focused instead on finding her voice. Tears of fear and defeat began to stream from the corners of her eyes.

Diamond's fingers were now toying with the lacy edge of her thigh high stockings, making her flesh feel like it was crawling. He had buried his face in the crook of her neck where he was suckling on her skin like a baby.

Serena felt so dirty, like she was betraying Darien by lying there and doing nothing. She was surprised when her lips parted on their own and her voice, barely a whisper, spoke. "Diamond…please…don't do this."

He pulled back at the sound of her plea, and his eyes softened a fraction as he took in her sad eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. He reached out to brush the wetness from her face. He looked like he was about to say something, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Cursing under his breath, he went to answer it. Serena heard the low timbre of Sapphire's voice and profusely thanked whatever divine intervention had sent him at that moment. If he hadn't shown up…well, who knows how far things would have gone.

"I'll be there in a minute," Diamond's irritated voice snapped. He turned back to Serena with an unsatisfied look in his eyes. "Looks like you have a reprieve for now, my queen. But don't get too comfortable, I'll be back later to finish what we started."

He turned and left, and Serena sighed a breath of relief as control of her body returned to her. She pulled the gaping edges of her bodice together with one hand while she scrubbed the back of the other against her mouth, trying to erase Diamond's taste.

She knew it was a fruitless effort, but she ran to the door and yanked on the knob. It was locked of course, and the door was heavy and solid looking.

"I bet if I was Sailor Moon I could bust my way out of here," she muttered. Then a thought struck her. Where was her broach? She glanced around the room and her spirits lifted when she saw the familiar gold piece of jewelry on the table beside the bed. She grabbed it up quickly and snapped it open. The Silver Crystal lay there, twinkling up at her.

She smirked. Diamond should have known better than to leave this in her possession. Now he wouldn't have a prayer. She held the broach up and cried, "Moon Crystal Power!"

She waited to feel the familiar rush of energy, but seconds passed and nothing happened. "What the hell?"

'_The Silver Crystal won't work here,' _Serenity's voice told her. _'It's too close to Diamond's Dark Crystal and its power is interfering with that of the Silver Crystal. You won't be able to transform here.'_

'_Well that's just great!' _Serena snapped. _'Any other good news that you would like to share with me?'_

'_Calm down, Serena,' _Serenity soothed. _'I know you're upset, and I don't blame you. But at least Darien, Rini, and the others are safe.'_

That much was true, and Serena took comfort from that fact. Her friends were okay, and if she knew them half as well as she thought she did, they were probably making plans for her rescue right now. That brought another thought to her mind.

She began pacing excitedly. _'Of course. The others will come after me. Darien can find me anywhere. He told me he has like an internal tracking device on me. That's how he's always known where to find me during battles.'_

'_Uh, Serena,' _Serenity's voice sounded a little shaky. _'I don't think it will be that easy this time. There's something you ought to know.'_

Serena didn't like the sound of that. _'Something tells me I'm really going to hate this. Go ahead, lay it on me.'_

'_Well…' _Serenity hedged. _'I'm not exactly sure how to say this. Pluto will probably rake me over the coals as it is, but whatever. Serena, you're in the future.'_

Serena's mouth fell open. _'Excuse me! Did I hear that right? Did you just say that I'm in the future?'_

A deep mental sigh. _'Yes, you heard me right. You're on Earth in the 30__th__ Century, in Crystal Tokyo to be exact. This place is Prince Diamond's palace. It was created from the Dark Crystal when he and his clan attacked the Earth. He brought you forward in time while you were sleeping.'_

Serena's mind was whirling. _'Wait a minute, 30__th__ Century, Crystal Tokyo? This is where Rini is from. Maybe I can find out something about her parents if I manage to get out of here. I know she misses them a lot.'_

She heard something that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle, then a whispered, _'I'm sure they miss her too.'_

'_Now to figure out my next move,' _Serena thought. _'There's got to be a way out of here.'_

'_Too late,' _Serenity's voice said softly and faded away as the door opened with a click to reveal a furious, fuming Prince Diamond.

* * *

"Ouch!" Jake shouted, cringing away from the antiseptic soaked cotton ball that his girlfriend was using to clean the gash on his shoulder. "Damn it woman! This is not what I pictured in my head when you told me to take my shirt off."

Raye just glared at him and went back to dabbing at the wound, making his breath hiss between his teeth.

"Suck it up and be a man, Jake," Nick chided from where he was wrapping a bandage around a nasty burn on Lita's leg. "Lita's hurt worse than you are, and I haven't heard one complaint out of her yet. Are you going to be bested by a _girl?"_

Lita shared a small smile with him and looked around at the rest of her friends that were scattered around Darien's living room. Kyle and Zack were by the sliding balcony doors, looking out at the night. They had both suffered from scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious. Mina was sitting on the couch with a sprained ankle propped up on a kitchen chair. Amy was favoring her left wrist and Andrew had been called in to help. He was currently doing his best to patch up the nasty cut Darien had at his temple.

"Stay still, Darien!" the usually perky, sandy haired blonde snapped uncharacteristically. "I can't get the bandage on if you keep moving around."

"Don't worry about it, Drew," he growled. "It's the last thing on my mind right now. All I want to do is go out and find that bastard, Diamond, and kick his ass. He better not hurt one blonde hair on Serena's head, or so help me…"

He dropped his head into his hands as his sentence trailed off. Everyone else glanced around at each other uneasily. They could all feel the rage and despair that was rolling off the reincarnated prince.

"Hey," Andrew said, trying to be upbeat. "This is Serena we're talking about. Knowing her, she'll already have the bad guys whipped by the time you get there. She's a strong girl. You'll probably find her stuffing her face with whatever she could raid from their kitchen. Then she'll turn around with that smile of hers and ask you what took you so long to get there."

This pep talk didn't alleviate Darien's fears in the least, but he couldn't help the small smile that twitched his lips at the mental image Andrew painted. If only that could be true.

He laid a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks Drew. I know I can always count on you for a little comic relief whenever I need it."

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Jake complained.

"You're going to be flambé if you don't sit still and let me finish this," Raye growled, slapping a bandage on his shoulder with more force than was necessary. Jake grimaced, but remained still and quiet.

"So what do we do now?" Kyle asked. "Do we even have a clue as to where to begin looking for this guy?"

Darien shrugged. "Maybe. I'm sure whatever information Diamond used to pose as a student at the high school is false, so no help there. But maybe we can track down Rubeus and those sisters. Does anyone know where they are?"

Mina sighed. "Yeah. The girls opened a cosmetic store and boutique in Juuban, but I'm not sure where they are living. We won't be able to find out anything from them until they open the shop tomorrow."

Amy had her computer out, typing as fast as she could with one hand. "I'm confused. My scans are showing no trace of negative energy anywhere at all. But I'm also not picking up on the Silver Crystal's energy either. It's like they both vanished."

Darien groaned and let his head fall to the back of the couch. "That's what I was afraid of. I haven't been able to sense anything from her. I can always tell where she is and what she's feeling. But now there's nothing. I can't feel her."

Lita's lips trembled and tears sparkled in her green eyes. "What does that mean? Does that mean that she's…" she trailed off, unable to finish the statement.

Nick sat beside her and gathered her close. "Don't get yourself so upset. I'm sure she's fine. It's probably just that guy's strange power or something that's making it hard to find her. We'll get her back, you'll see."

A sudden flash of magenta light had them all covering their eyes. When they looked again, they found a tall woman in a fuku holding a long staff. Her long, dark green hair flew around her as she looked quickly around the room.

"Sailor Pluto!" Darien and the scouts exclaimed while the generals all sat in shock.

The time guardian turned to Darien and bowed her head. "Your highness, I came as quickly as I could. I sense that we have a huge problem here."

Darien nodded, his surprise at the scout's sudden appearance fading. "Diamond took Serena. The bastard almost got Rini too, but Serena gave herself up to save her."

"Of course she did," Pluto muttered under her breath. "Where is Small Lady now? Is she okay?"

Darien stood and led her down the hall to his bedroom door. "We put her in here. The poor kid was given a massive dose of chloroform. We figured it was best to just let her sleep it off." He pushed the door open.

Sailor Pluto rushed quickly to the side of the bed and knelt down beside the sleeping girl. As she reached out to smooth back the tangled pink hair, the maroon eyes fluttered open.

"Puu?" Rini asked groggily. "Is it really you?"

Pluto smiled softly. "It's really me, Small Lady. I came to help."

"Puu!" the little girl cried, flinging herself into Pluto's arms and bursting into tears.

"Shh…" the woman soothed her. "I know you've been scared, but everything's going to be okay."

Rini gulped and lifted her head to look her in the eyes. "It is? Does that mean that everything at home is okay now?"

Pluto sighed. "Not yet. There are still many things left to do. But let's talk about this in the other room. I'm sure everyone else has questions as well."

She picked Rini up and followed Darien back into the living room, but as she settled on the couch, Rini slid off of her lap and ran over to the chair Darien had taken a seat in and climbed up to curl up in his lap instead. A tiny smile of amusement lifted her lips.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I am here," she began, looking around at the expectant faces. "As I told you last time we spoke, the Dark Moon Clan came to this time from the future to try to change the past in order to alter the future. They were also after Small Lady. Diamond, however, decided to make Princess Serenity his primary target."

"Do you know where they are now?" Amy asked. "I can't pick up anything on my computer."

"Of course you can't, Mercury," Pluto explained. "In order for you to trace Serenity and the Silver Crystal, they would have to exist in the same time and place as you. But as soon as Diamond got his hands on Serenity he performed a time jump and returned with her to the future."

"Wait a minute," Darien sputtered, dumbfounded. "Are you really saying that he took Serena to another time?"

She nodded. "The 30th century to be exact. He's gone there in hopes of completing his plans for conquering Crystal Tokyo."

Rini jumped off of Darien's lap and stood there with her tiny fists clenched. "But what about Mommy and Daddy, are they okay? Will they be able to beat him this time?"

Pluto looked at her with somber eyes. "That's why I've come to ask you for your help, Small Lady. Your parents are alive, but neither one of them are able to fight at this time. They are still suffering from the effects of the last attack. Your father has multiple injuries and your mother has not woken up from the evil sleep spell that hit her."

Tears pooled in Rini's large, expressive eyes. "But they are alive. They haven't left me all alone."

Pluto slid from her seat to kneel in front of her. "Yes. You still have your parents, but they need your help."

"What do I need to do?" Rini asked in a tremulous voice.

"Do you still have your time key?" Pluto asked her.

The pink head nodded and she pulled the chain around her neck from under her shirt. The small glittering key hung from it.

Pluto placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Now listen to me very carefully. I must return to the time gate for now. Once everyone here has rested a bit, I want you to use the key and lead anyone who is willing to go to me there. Then I will see everybody safely to Crystal Tokyo."

"Are you saying that you want us to go to the future?" Darien asked.

"Yes," Pluto replied. "Diamond has moved the fight to Crystal Tokyo. Going there is the only way to defeat him and get Serena back."

"Well count me in," Lita quickly volunteered.

"Me too," Raye responded.

One by one, all of the scouts and generals pledged themselves to going to the future. Then they all turned to look at Darien.

"Thanks guys," he said with a wry grin. "I was going, with or without you. But I'm sure I could use the help."

"I wish I could go," Andrew grumbled. "I always feel left out."

Darien pushed his shoulder in a friendly way. "Just make sure you have a milkshake ready for Serena when we get back. I'm sure that will be the first thing she'll be thinking about."

Sailor Pluto rose to her feet. "I must return now. I suggest you all get a little rest first. This will not be an easy journey." She pinned Darien with a serious gaze. "Prince, I know you have only recently become aware of your powers, but it is important that you learn as much as you can about them. One of your powers is the ability to heal yourself and others, and it would be helpful if all of you were in good condition before you travel to the future. Look inside yourself, and I'm sure you'll find the answers."

Her eyes looked amused, and Darien got the feeling that she knew about the voice he had been hearing in his head. If she was right, then he needed to have a long heart to heart with his little friend that he and Serena had come to believe was his past self.

He nodded at her. "I understand."

* * *

A glass shattered against the dark crystal wall, raining tinkling shards and drops of wine to the floor. The fuming woman stood there shaking, not even seeing the destruction she was causing.

"How could he?" she ground out between clenched teeth. "I had that little brat in my hands, and then he just snatched her away and gave her back. All because of that bitch!"

"Calm yourself, Emerald," Wiseman drawled in a placating tone. "All is not lost yet. We will have other opportunities to capture Small Lady. We must be patient."

The green haired woman's knuckles cracked as she clenched her fists. "Patient? You want me to be patient? How can I when I know that little slut is down the hall in my prince's room at this very moment? It makes me sick to think about what she is probably doing with him. I am the only one who should be with Diamond like that."

Wiseman's crystal ball hovered in front of him and began to glow eerily as he passed his hands over the surface. "Fear not, Emerald. Nothing has happened between them, and I find no reason to think that it ever will. The moon princess will not be with us for long. Look and see for yourself."

Emerald leaned forward to gaze into the orb, her eyes widening as she saw the ten people that were making their way through a dense fog.

"As you can see, the prince and the guardians are on their way here to rescue the princess," Wiseman cackled in satisfaction. "And they even brought the Rabbit with them. This could prove to be very convenient for us. We can kill two birds with one stone this way. We can get Serenity away from Diamond and out of your hair, and we can capture the Rabbit and move forward with our plans."

A smirk turned up Emerald's lips. "That sounds good to me. The sooner that moon bitch is out of here, the better. She better thank her lucky stars that she's the little brat's mother and needs to live for now so she can marry Endymion and have the little monster. I would have gone in there and killed her by now if it hadn't been for that fact."

Wiseman chuckled. "As I said before, patience. Your time will come. I promised you that you could kill Neo Queen Serenity, and you will have your chance."

"And I so look forward to it," she replied maliciously. "I will bath in that bitch's blood."

* * *

Serena was determined to not show Diamond how terrified she was, but she couldn't help but stumble back a few steps at the sight of the raw, unbridled fury on his face.

He advanced on her quickly and his fingers clamped down around the delicate skin of her upper arms like steel vices. He shook her so hard that her head wobbled around like it had a mind of its own.

"Why?" he screamed at her. "Why is it that every time I get close to you, one of your little scouts has to come along and interfere? Why can't they see that you belong with me and leave us alone?"

Serena ignored the pain in her neck and head and tried to focus on his words. What was he talking about? Then a thought struck her.

"Mercury," she sighed in relief. That had to be it. Amy must have used that genius brain of hers to find out where she was and how to get to her.

Diamond snarled. "No it's not that one. I'm referring to that meddlesome time guardian."

Serena blinked in surprise. "Pluto?"

"Yes Pluto," he sneered. "She thinks that she's going to thwart my plans by bringing your little band of protectors here, but it's not going to work. You are mine now, and nobody will ever take you away from me."

Her heart leapt with joy. Her friends were coming for her, the scouts, the generals…and Darien, her sweet, sweet Darien.

Diamond's gaze turned manic as he watched the expressions that flitted across her face. Happiness and excitement battled together for a moment, neither one overpowering the other. Then her eyes softened, and a look of such love and devotion appeared on her face that his teeth made a cracking sound as he clenched his jaw.

"You're thinking of _him_," he hissed. "How dare you fantasize about that son of a bitch while I'm the one holding you. It's time you faced the truth, princess. You are mine, forever. You will never be with that weak earth prince ever again."

Serena's temper exploded to the surface. She spit in his arrogant face. "I'll never belong to you, you self righteous bastard! Darien is ten times the man you could ever hope to be. I love him with all my heart, and nothing you can do will ever change that."

All sanity fled him as her words enraged him beyond belief. Before he even realized what he was doing, his arm raised to backhand her across the cheek. The force of the blow sent her reeling into the wall before she fell to the floor.

He was on her in a second, straddling her waist and holding her down. "You vicious little bitch! Do you honestly think you can fight against me and win? You belong only to me. I swear to you that I won't let anyone else have you."

His hands wrapped around her slender throat, cutting off her airway and making it impossible for her to draw a breath. She clawed at his restricting hands as she began to feel light headed. Black dots were dancing across her vision as she stared up wildly at him.

"Diamond! Stop!" a voice cried.

Serena heard a thud, and then felt a wonderful sense of relief as Diamond's weight disappeared off of her. Her throat was released, and she raggedly gulped in the precious oxygen. As her vision cleared, she was able to see the dark figure of her rescuer as he stood protectively in front of her.

"Sapphire," she rasped weakly.

Diamond was picking himself up from the floor where he had landed when his brother had knocked him off of Serenity. "Sapphire! What is the meaning of this?"

The younger prince glared darkly at his brother. "What the hell did you think you were doing, Diamond? You could have killed her. Is that any way to treat the woman that you claim to love so much?"

Diamond looked in horror as his brother knelt next to the golden haired princess and examined her reddened cheek that was already beginning to swell. He saw the angel wince when Sapphire gently touched the bruises that were already beginning to mar the perfection of her slender white neck.

He looked down at his hands like they were foreign objects. He had attacked his goddess. He had lost his temper and had almost killed her. The scary part was, as she had lain beneath him, staring up at him with those crystalline blue eyes of hers, he had wanted her to die. For a brief moment he had thought that maybe her death would free him from this sickness that was slowly eating away at him.

Feeling like the lowest creature in the world, he knelt at her other side and reached for her. "Serenity, I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say."

He watched as she scrambled away from him to huddle next to his brother. There was a healthy amount of fear in her eyes, but underneath, there was still that defiance shining through. He may have beaten her down for the moment, but she wasn't broken.

"You stay the hell away from me, you bastard!" she choked out in a hoarse voice.

He watched with narrowed eyes as Sapphire wrapped a supporting arm around her shoulders. So she had rallied another champion to her side, his brother no less. Jealousy burned through him as he saw how she didn't shy away from Sapphire's touch the way she had his. The monster inside him reared its ugly head again, but he kept it in check.

"Sapphire, leave us," he demanded.

Sapphire shook his head. "No way, brother! You told me that she would never be in physical harm. But what I just witnessed told me a different story."

Diamond sighed in exasperation. "You have my word that I will not lay a single finger on Serenity. Now go."

Sapphire held his ground. "I can't do that. I've followed you blindly my entire life. But you've changed. You're not the same person you used to be. And I can no longer stand by and watch you continue this madness. This was not what our plan was. Wiseman is using us as pawns in his own sick and twisted little game, brother. Can't you see that?"

"Not this again," Diamond groaned. "I'm tired of listening to your complaints about Wiseman. He's helping us achieve our dream. Now stand aside, brother."

Sapphire didn't move. He continued to glare at Diamond in anger and mistrust. He stared his brother down in silence.

Diamond returned the glare for a moment, then his eyes turned sad. "I'm sorry, little brother," he whispered seconds before he shot Sapphire with a blast of dark, crackling negative energy.

The attack blew Sapphire away from Serena's side, and his body flew across the room. He hit the wall with a sickening thud before sliding down to land in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Sapphire!" Serena screamed, staggering to her feet. She had only taken two steps toward her fallen hero when Diamond's hand grabbed hers.

"He'll be fine," Diamond told her smoothly. "He'll have a hell of a headache when he wakes up, but he'll get over it."

She stared at him in disbelief. "How could you do that to your own brother? Can't you see how much he looks up to you? Only a cruel, heartless monster could attack his own brother."

Diamond gave a hollow laugh. "I'm only cruel if I am forced to be. And as for heartless, well my dear, I can assure you I'm not. You have filled my heart completely. That's why I will never let you go."

Sorrow filled her eyes. "I feel sorry for you, Diamond. It's sad that you would destroy everything in your life just to try to claim something that will never be yours. Love can't be forced, it can only be given freely. And mine already belongs to someone else."

His eyes turned hard and cold. "It's a pity you feel that way, my love. This would have been so much easier if you would just give in to me. But I will show you that things can be forced. The one with the power always wins, and right now I am the one holding the greater power. First I will take over this planet, and then I will rule it with you at my side."

The third eye opened on his forehead, and Serena quickly tried to look away. But the energy that hit her was more powerful than before, and her body felt paralyzed in an instant.

Diamond placed gentle fingers under her chin and tilted her head up until her eyes were on his. He bent down and brushed a feather light kiss against her lips. He looked genuinely sad. "I didn't want it to be this way, love. But if this is the only way I can have you, then so be it."

The hypnotic eye widened, and the energy intensified. Serena felt as if her head were about to explode. It literally felt like someone was cutting her head open to remove her brain. A burning fire seared along every nerve ending in her body. She wanted to scream, but no sound would come.

And then it all stopped. The pain disappeared. She didn't feel anything anymore. Everything was numb.

The third eye vanished from Diamond's brow, and he smiled lovingly at her. He pulled her up tightly against his body, but she didn't feel it. He kissed her forehead, but there was no sensation of his lips on her skin. He pulled back a little and ran his fingers down her cheek. Nothing.

"Touch me," he whispered softly.

She watched in shock as her hands rose up to his face, her fingers lightly tracing his brows, his nose, and his lips. She tried desperately to yank her hands away, but she couldn't feel her body, much less control it.

He grinned at her. "Now you are truly mine."

"Yes, my prince," the sound of her own voice shocked Serena to her very core. She hadn't said that.

He turned her toward a full-length mirror and stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. Serena screamed when she saw the reflection in the glass, but no sound came out, her expression never changed.

Diamond's lips found her ear and breathed against it. "We make a striking couple, don't we?"

'_No, no, no,' _Serena wailed inside her head. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Diamond stood there in all of his regal, silver haired glory. But the woman in his arms was what caused her to panic. Her face was smooth and calm. Her long golden hair flowed in silky waves from the two buns on her head. She wore an immaculate dress of the purest white with gold circles embroidered into the bodice, and a bright crescent moon glowed softly on her forehead.

Princess Serenity appeared to be perfectly content to be standing in the arms of Prince Diamond.

His eyes met hers in the mirror. "Now, let's go take care of your troublesome friends so we can move on to more pleasant matters, like our honeymoon."

* * *

"Are you sure we're going the right way, Rini?" Sailor Mercury asked, flicking an earring to make her visor vanish. "I can't make anything out. Everything seems so twisted."

"That's because time has no meaning here," a feminine voice came from the surrounding mist. It parted to reveal a large door. Sailor Pluto stood sentinel beside it. "Here time can go forward or backward. It can go slow, fast, or even stand still."

She knelt respectively in front of them. "That is why you must have a time key to come here. Without it a person would become lost on the plane of time and wander aimlessly forever."

She stood up slowly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon, much less looking quite so fit."

Tuxedo Mask shrugged his shoulders. "I took your advice and did some 'inner reflection'."

A mischievous smile tugged at her lips. "Obviously that worked out for you. Everyone looks to be healed from their previous injuries."

"Uh…yeah," he grumbled. He figured it wasn't worth going into the specifics of the internal battle he'd had with himself. Endymion had been an eager teacher, but a hard taskmaster, losing his patience and yelling at Darien every time he messed up.

At one point he had told Endymion to go screw himself and the prince, in turn, had called him a cowardly little pansy ass that couldn't even hold on to his girlfriend properly. That was when he had been glad that he had locked himself up in his bedroom for their little chat, or his friends probably would have thought that he had gone crazy when he came close to strangling himself.

Jadeite snorted. "Yeah, he figured out that part of his mojo. I wish I had known earlier that he was going to be able to pull that little rabbit out of his hat. Then I wouldn't have had to sit there and suffer through Raye's tender loving care."

Sailor Mars' eyes flashed a furious violet for a split second before she brought the sharp heel of her red shoe down on his foot, hard.

Jadeite howled and hopped around on one foot while holding the other in his hands. He mumbled something about needing to find a water hose, and that caused the fire priestess to growl.

"Both of you knock it off!" Venus and Kunzite yelled together. As the leaders of their respective groups, they were used to issuing orders. They smiled sheepishly at each other.

"Well now that you're all here, I guess we should get down to business," Pluto hurriedly interjected before anything else could happen. She gestured to the door beside her. "Behind this door lies the 30th century and Crystal Tokyo. Once you arrive Small Lady will lead you to the Crystal Palace. Someone will meet you there. I will join you as soon as I can. It's important that you go straight to the palace, do not dawdle in the city. Is that understood?"

There were murmurs of agreement and nods of heads all around.

"Why are we going to the palace?" Sailor Mercury asked curiously. "Shouldn't we be heading to wherever Diamond is holding Serena?"

Pluto shook her head. "There is more to this story that you need to know, and the one to properly tell you is at the palace. It is also where the remaining defensive forces are. It will be a safe place to leave Small Lady. I'm sure you weren't about to drag her into the middle of a battle."

Mercury blushed and mumbled, "Of course. You're right."

"Good luck to you all," Pluto said as she waved her staff and the door opened to reveal a swirling vortex.

Rini looked excited as she grabbed Tuxedo Mask's hand. "Ready?"

He grinned down at the little girl. "I am if you are."

"Then let's go!" she cheered as they stepped through the portal together. The scouts and generals quickly followed.

Space and time seemed to warp around them for a few seconds before they found themselves standing on the bluff overlooking a large, sprawling city. A cold, silent city. Some of the buildings had been crumbled into rubble, and the ones that were left standing were dark. No lights shined from the windows. There was no sound.

"It's deserted," Jupiter whispered. "Where are all the people?"

A choked sob came from Rini as she stared out over her home. "This is bad. I never thought it would be this bad. Mommy! Daddy!"

She started to run off, but Tuxedo Mask grabbed her and swung her up into his arms. She beat on his chest with her tiny fists as she cried. "Hey kiddo, calm down. We're going to figure all of this out. I promise, we're going to do everything we can to help get your home back to normal. But right now you've got to help us get to where we need to go. Can you do that?"

She broke off into sniffles and nodded. She pointed to the tall crystal tower in the middle of the city. "That's where we have to go. That's where anyone that's left alive will be."

They started down the hill and found a road that would lead them into the city. They remained silent as they passed the dark buildings. The mood was depressing and somber. After the long, quiet hike, they finally reached the gates of the palace.

"How do we get in?" Nephrite asked after he and Kunzite had tested the gate and found it locked. There was no sign of a guard or anyone else in sight.

Rini wriggled down out of Tuxedo Mask's arms. She walked over to a small, flat panel that was next to the gate and pressed her hand to it. A moment later there was a click and the gate swung open as a computerized voice said, "Welcome home, Small Lady."

The rest of them gaped in shock.

"Rini…you live in the palace!" Venus shrieked.

Rini shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah."

"It makes sense," Mercury explained. "We've already established that Rini is somehow connected to the royal lunar family. Maybe she's like Serena's great great great granddaughter or something."

Rini rolled her eyes. "If you only knew. But I've got a feeling that you're fixing to find out anyway. Come on, let's get inside."

She grabbed Tuxedo Mask by the hand and pulled him along up the winding path that led to the steps of the palace, the others trailing behind them. The gate swung shut again with a clang.

They had just reached the steps leading to the massive front entrance of the castle when a voice suddenly spoke out of the darkness. "Welcome. I'm glad to see that you all made it here safely. I must admit I was worried. These are dangerous times."

"Who's there?" Tuxedo Mask demanded. He looked around and saw the dark figure of a man in the shadows near the door. That voice sounded so familiar.

"Daddy?" Rini whispered, her voice shaking.

There was a chuckle. "Welcome home, sweet pea. I've missed you."

"Daddy!" Rini screamed, ripping her hand from Tuxedo Mask's and running toward the shadowy figure. Everyone gasped when she passed right through him and landed on the ground. She turned her head to look up at him and whimpered softly, "Daddy?"

He knelt beside her and reached out a hand as if to touch her, and then he pulled it back. "I'm sorry Rini. I should have warned you. I'm afraid I'm not quite myself yet."

Mercury took out her computer and began scanning. She let out a squeak when she read her findings. "He's not really there. He's a hologram."

"You are correct as always Sailor Mercury," he said, standing again and walking forward. "I was injured during the attack by the Dark Moon Clan and my body is still healing. I took this form so that I would still be able to oversee the defenses of the palace."

"Amazing technology," Mercury murmured as she began to type furiously, entranced by what she was reading.

Tuxedo Mask was silent. He felt very disturbed for some reason. It wasn't just the voice. There was also something about the way the man moved, the way he walked. It was as if he should know him.

The figure paused just before stepping out from the shadows and into the moonlight that would reveal his features. "I apologize in advance for the shock that this will cause you. Some more so than others."

Tuxedo Mask felt shaky. He had the feeling that the man was looking right at him as he said this. He swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump that had risen in his throat. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

First one foot stepped out into the faint light, and then another. His eyes traveled up the length of what appeared to be a lavender tuxedo, a matching cape trailed behind it. A white mask covered the upper part of his face, but there was no mistaking the eyes behind it or the unruly ebony hair.

Tuxedo Mask felt his head swim. He was looking at himself, the way he had seen himself in the future when he'd had those horrible dreams where he had been grieving by Serena's lifeless body in that crystal casket. And the voice, it was the one from the nightmares that had told him to stay away from Serena. Come to think about it, he had been hearing that voice a lot lately.

"You son of a bitch!" he snarled, stalking forward to confront his future self. "First you send me those awful nightmares and then you decide to start popping into my head at all hours of the day and night. Just who the hell do you think you are?"

His future self looked at him seriously. "I know things seem confusing, but I promise, the answers are coming. As you have guessed I am your future self. I am called King Endymion and I rule the Earth." He smirked at his younger self. "So tell me Darien, do you still want me to go screw myself?"

Tuxedo Mask was flabbergasted. He was still alive a thousand years in the future and he was ruler of the Earth? How the hell did that happen?

"Daddy?" Rini's voice cut into his musings. He looked at the little girl in shock as she stared at his future self with teary eyes. Holy shit! It just clicked to him that Rini was his daughter.

"Where's mommy?" she asked her father. "I want to see mommy."

He started. Her mother? Who was her mother? There was only one woman that he would ever want in his life, and that was…

The puzzle pieces all suddenly clicked into place. The hairstyle, the expressive eyes, the unending appetite, all the other little mannerisms, there was no denying it. If he was her father, then there was no mistaking who her mother was.

"Where is she?" he growled.

Endymion's eyes turned sad, then he sighed. "Follow me."

He led them up the steps and into the palace. The scouts and generals looked around in awe at the magnificence of their surroundings, but Tuxedo Mask kept his eyes fixed on the back of the king as he walked behind him down the corridors. They stopped in front of a pair of large double doors with carvings of the moon in its different phases.

Endymion surveyed them all carefully. "I must warn you, this could be a hard sight to bear." The doors opened slowly.

Tuxedo Mask held his breath. He knew what he would see on the other side of those doors, for he had seen it before. He felt a hand slip into his. He looked down to find Rini staring up at him, a determined expression on her little face. He gave her hand a little squeeze and whispered, "It'll be okay."

She gave him a trembling little smile and squeezed his hand back in return. The doors were opened all the way, and they both faced forward.

It was the same. The large room with the gleaming crystal walls, and the crystal monument at the far end of the room, it was exactly the same.

His feet feeling wooden, Tuxedo Mask walked forward with Rini at his side. As they drew closer, he began to make out the shape of the body that was trapped inside.

There she was, frozen in all of her perfection, his Serena, but not exactly the same. She appeared taller, her face was not quite as round and seemed a little more mature, but the long golden hair trailing from the twin buns on her head gave away her identity in a heartbeat.

Venus clapped a hand over her mouth, tears pooling in her china blue eyes and leaned heavily against Kunzite. Mars just stared bleakly as Jadeite wrapped his arms around her from behind. Jupiter looked as if she might collapse, and she probably would have if it hadn't been for Nephrite's supporting arm around her waist. Mercury's hand was clenched tightly around her computer, but for once she made no move to open it and analyze the situation. Zoicite held her other hand securely in his.

Rini ran right up to the crystal and put her hands on it. "Mommy? Mommy, wake up. I brought help from the past. Mommy, please wake up." Small sobs began to tear from her throat.

King Endymion went to stand at her side. His hand went to stroke her hair, but his fingers passed right through the strands. A look of extreme frustration appeared on his face.

Tuxedo Mask hurried over to gather the little girl up in his arms. The king gave him a grateful look as he watched his daughter settle against his past self, laying her head on his shoulder as the tears dripped down her cheeks.

"What happened to her?" he growled, looking once more at the still woman in the crystal.

Endymion sighed. "It all happened so fast. We had no warning of the attack at all. One minute all was quiet, the next there were these huge explosions. It was complete chaos. We couldn't find Rini anywhere. Someone said that they thought they had seen her out in the garden, and Serena ran outside before I could stop her. We hadn't had the chance to raise the defenses around the palace yet, and a massive energy wave was heading right for her. The scouts reached her before I did, and they used their energy to put her in this protective crystal, but it was too late. She fell into a deep sleep and has been that way every since."

"But what about the Silver Crystal?" Mercury asked. "Shouldn't it have protected her?"

"Normally it would," the king replied. "But we discovered that it had disappeared just minutes before the attack struck."

"You mean it's missing?" Mars asked in astonishment.

Endymion nodded. "We believe that someone took it." He noticed that Rini had fallen asleep in Tuxedo Mask's arms, and motioned for them to follow him. He led them up the stairs and down a hall to a set of rooms. He indicated for all of them to make themselves comfortable in the sitting room before leading Tuxedo Mask into an adjoining bedroom.

Tuxedo Mask lay the little girl down on the bed and tucked the covers around her. A picture on the nightstand caught his attention. It was of him and Serena, both of them older than they were now. Between them stood a younger Rini. She looked to be about four years old and she was holding each of her parent's hands. They were on a beach somewhere. He was dressed in red swim trunks and a black t-shirt while Serena looked stunning in a white bikini. Rini was adorable in a pink ruffled one piece. They were all windblown and had wide smiles on their faces.

Endymion noticed where his eyes had strayed and chuckled sadly. "That's one of Serena's favorites. It was taken on one of our 'escapes' as she likes to call them. We try to get away for a few days a couple of times a year, just to clear our heads. That trip in particular we managed to sneak away without any of the scouts or generals following us. They were pissed when we got back."

Tuxedo Mask looked around the room. It was a perfect balance of feminine and masculine. The dainty vanity table covered in cosmetics against one wall was offset by the massive entertainment center against the opposite wall and black was countered by white.

He felt a flush rising in his face. "Is this…Is this…"

The king took pity on his younger counterpart. "Yes. This is Serena's and my room. I would have put Rini in her own room, but I feel better keeping her close. Now let's join the others. We have a lot to talk about."

They talked for a few hours. After convincing them all that it was safe to detransform while inside the palace, Endymion told them everything, how the world had frozen over for a thousand years and how Serenity had reawakened the Earth and formed Crystal Tokyo with the power of the Silver Crystal. He told then what he knew about the people from Nemesis, how Diamond had come to meet with him and Serenity and how they had turned him away after he had forced his unwanted advances on the queen.

Darien growled deep in his throat when he heard this. "And since he couldn't get to her here, he transferred that obsession to Serena when he arrived back in our time."

Endymion nodded. "Yes. He is like a man possessed when it comes to her."

Lita slammed a fist into her palm. "Well that's just great. We've got to find out where he is quickly so we can kick his ass before he does something to our Serena. I'll kill the bastard it he hurts her."

Endymion turned to point out of the large windows that looked out over what was once a busy city. "It's hard to see right now, but out there on the edge of the city is a Dark Crystal Palace. That is Diamond's stronghold. He formed it with the power of the Dark Crystal after he found it impossible to get inside this palace thanks to the scouts of this time casting their energy to form a shield around it."

"So we're still alive?" Mina asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Endymion told them. "But they are growing weaker by the day. They have been constantly expending their energy for weeks now and won't be able to keep it up for much longer."

"What about us?" Kyle demanded. "Where are we while all of this is going on?"

Endymion sighed. "You four were being as stubborn as always and refused to leave my side. You were caught up in the attack that injured me and are now in the same comatose state that my physical body is in. It is only by sheer luck that the hologram program that was used to generate myself in this form was completed the day before the attack, or I wouldn't be here now to explain this to you."

A beeping sound came from a nearby computer console, making everyone jump a little in their seats at the sudden noise.

"What is that?" Amy asked as the king ghosted over to look at the screen.

His eyes closed for a moment before he sighed heavily. "It's the perimeter alert. Someone has accessed the main gate."

"Were you expecting more company besides us?" Darien asked immediately.

"Unfortunately, yes," Endymion replied. "You may want to transform. This is not just a social call."

Everyone looked around in confusion for a minute before calling upon their henshins. After the rush of power faded, the young heroes of Tokyo were ready for action.

"I'll stay here with Rini while you check things out," the king told them.

They rushed from the room and down the stairs, their eyes searching for any sign of who it was that had been able to make it inside the protected palace. They broke into groups, half of them going out to make a quick sweep of the grounds while the rest of them searched the many rooms of the ground floor. They regrouped a few minutes later with nothing to report.

"This place is so big that a person could be hiding anywhere," Venus complained.

"There's one room left that we haven't searched," Tuxedo Mask said grimly, turning toward the large, ornately carved double doors.

The scouts shivered. None of them particularly wanted to go back into that room and see the future form of their best friend and princess lying lifelessly in that chunk of crystal, but the king had been sure that somebody had made it through the palace's defenses, so they needed to check.

Jadeite and Nephrite pushed open the doors to the room, and they all stared in disbelief at the sight in front of them.

Prince Diamond stood by Neo Queen Serenity's crystal tomb, staring down at her motionless body. On of his hands lightly trailed along the crystal, as if he wished he was touching her.

"What the hell are you doing here, Diamond?" Tuxedo Mask yelled, rage beginning to simmer inside of him at the sight of the man that had stolen his love away.

Diamond turned to them with a smirk. "Why I've just come to pay my respects to a goddess. There's no harm in that is there?"

"Smug bastard," Tuxedo Mask growled under his breath. "How did you get in here? The king told us that the only way to open the gate was if you were granted security access by the computer system. And I'm pretty sure you're not on the list of people they would allow to just come walking in here."

Diamond tapped a finger to his chin, "Ah yes, I guess I wouldn't be very popular around here at the moment. But I am fortunate enough to have found a key to this palace that allowed me to waltz right in."

"What do you mean you found a key?" Mercury asked. "The computer system that runs the security here is very sophisticated. Only a select few are granted access when the threat is this high."

Diamond looked down his nose at her. "I'm well aware of that, Sailor Mercury. I've been trying to get in here for weeks without success. During times of high alert, the only people that are granted access to come and go from the palace are the guardians of the royal family and the royal family themselves. So I went and found myself a member of the royal family."

Tuxedo Mask felt a frozen lump of dread form in the pit of his stomach at Diamond's words. Was Serena okay? He knew that she would never willingly help Diamond do anything. So what had that bastard done to her to get her to help?

Diamond turned back to the tomb. "I must admit, I'm surprised she's still here. I'm surprised that any of this still exists. I figured that once I took Serenity from the past, the future would begin to collapse. But here she remains, still just as breathtaking as ever."

"That's enough of your psychotic rambling," Tuxedo Mask demanded. "Where is Serena, Diamond? I want her back, now."

An evil glint entered the fair-haired prince's eye. "Oh yes, the fair Serena. She is quite the spirited one, isn't she? I have no idea how such a small girl thought she would be able to stand up against me, but I have to give her credit, she did try." He ran a finger over his lips. "It was quite the challenge to break her."

Tuxedo Mask's temper exploded. He lunged at the gloating prince, golden sparks already shooting from his fingertips. "You son of a bitch! I'll kill you! Where is my Serena?"

Kunzite and Nephrite each grabbed him by an arm, holding him back. He struggled against them, the murderous rage burning in his eyes turning them as black as pitch.

Diamond chuckled. "Only a woman as fair as Serenity could inspire such emotions. Just like the legend of the beautiful Helen of Troy, men would be willing to fight wars for her."

"Knock it off you crazy ass and tell us where Serena is," Jupiter ground out, sparks of electricity beginning to sizzle around her.

"Yeah, cough it up before we kick your ass just for the hell of it," Mars seconded, flames dancing at the tips of her fingers.

Venus's Love Chain appeared in her hands and she snapped it between her hands. "I say we pound his sorry ass anyway. That'll teach him not to mess with our princess."

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees and a fine layer of frost appeared on Mercury's skin. "I usually abhor violence, but you've really pissed me off. I think I would rather enjoy smashing your face in."

Diamond threw back his head and laughed. "What a bloodthirsty little group you are. I admire that. It's a shame that we have been proclaimed enemies. I could use some good soldiers like you. But who knows, you may change your mind and decide to serve my new queen, you are supposed to be her protectors after all."

He turned to where a curtain hung against a wall, obviously covering a door or alcove of some kind and held out a hand. "Come on out, my dear, and greet your friends. It looks like they have missed you."

A slim, pale hand parted the curtain, and cries of surprise left everyone's lips as Princess Serenity stepped from behind it. The scouts scrambled to reach her, but were thrown back by a shield of dark energy.

They watched in horror as the princess gracefully glided across the floor to place her hand in Diamond's, her eyes never straying to them once as they lay on the ground where they had been thrown.

"Serena!" Tuxedo Mask exclaimed in relief at seeing her. She didn't acknowledge him, however, her gaze was fixed on the floor near her feet.

Diamond lifted her chin, forcing her gaze to his. "My love, take a look. Your friends have come to visit us."

Her put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so that she was facing them. They all gasped at the sight of her wide, blank eyes. There was no life in them at all. It was if she was just a shell of herself. The Serena that they knew and loved was nowhere to be seen.

'_I don't want to lose myself, Darien,' _the memory of her sweet voice cut through Tuxedo Mask's mind like a knife. He tried to reach out through their bond to give her some reassurance, but he felt nothing from her. It was if she didn't exist. This was her fear, what she'd had nightmares about.

He jerked free from his general's restraining hands. He was heartbroken as he stared into those beautiful blue, but empty eyes. He fell to his knees as tears began to fall unchecked down his cheeks. He didn't bother to brush them away.

"Serena, sweetheart, I know you're in there," he pleaded brokenly. "Please, come back to me. Don't let him win."

Diamond chuckled evilly. "Oh, this is just too perfect! The mighty future king of Earth brought to his knees like a weak, sniveling child. How I have waited for this moment. Victory is sweet!"

Tuxedo Mask refused to take the bait. He kept his eyes locked on the one that he loved, willing her to look at him. Her head had bowed again, and she was staring blankly at the floor once more.

'_Serena, please, look at me,' _he begged silently.

After several moments, her head raised a little, her eyes meeting his. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he saw a flicker of some emotion deep in their blue depths.

'That's it, Serena! You can fight this. I know you can. You are the strongest person I know.'

"_Darien!' _Serena was screaming inside her head as she watched him kneeling on the floor in front of her. _"Please don't cry, my love. I can't stand to see you so upset. Oh, how I wish I could feel your arms around me right now.'_

"So scouts, are you willing to come over to our side and help us start a new world?" Diamond was asking the scouts.

"Are you crazy or just extremely stupid?" Jupiter ground out between clenched teeth. "What we're going to do is kick your ass and get our best friend back. You won't get away with what you've done to her."

The other scouts nodded their agreement and they all moved into position. The generals joined them at their sides. If it was a war Diamond wanted, that's what he was going to get.

Diamond shook his head. "Such a pity. You could have been helpful. Now I have no choice but to have you all destroyed."

"Serenity!" he snapped to the woman at his side, but she didn't respond. Her eyes were still fixated on the dark haired earth prince in front of her. He had removed his hat and mask, and his features were clear to her. As his eyes bore into hers, he saw the soft glow that was beginning to shine in hers. She was fighting inside. She was trying to come back to him.

"Serenity!" Diamond called again, snapping his fingers sharply in front of her face. Tuxedo Mask watched in defeat as the glow sputtered and died. She turned her now empty gaze to Diamond.

"Since your little friends have refused to join us, I have no more use for them." Diamond growled. "Take care of them for me."

For the first time, her facial expression changed. She looked shocked. "No," she whispered.

He grabbed her by the arm and shook her, raising snarls from the onlookers. They were waiting for an opportunity to attack, but were scared to do anything while Serena was standing so close to him. They knew that the Silver Crystal would protect her, but they weren't sure if she even had it. The Mercury computer was unable to pick up on any readings behind Diamond's shield.

Diamond quit shaking Serenity and hauled her up hard against him. His third eye opened. "You will not disobey me, Serenity. I gave you an order. Get rid of those annoying brats. All of them, that pathetic prince too."

She froze, and then relaxed in his arms. "Yes, my prince," she whispered respectfully.

Diamond stood behind her as she turned to face the people that she had once loved. The ones that had been her sisters and her brothers, and the one that had brought more happiness to her life than she thought possible.

A silver glow encompassed her as she called forth the Silver Crystal. She cradled it between her palms in front of her as a single tear slipped from her eye to slide slowly down her cheek. She looked up at them, meeting each one of their gazes for a second with her empty, cold eyes.

Then her mouth moved silently. They could read her lips. "I'm sorry."

Then she held the crystal above her head. "Moon Crystal Power!"

**A/N **I know, I know…I'm just plain evil for leaving you with a cliffhanger like that. But it makes for an exciting beginning for the next chapter. Okay, so Diamond has taken control of Serena's body. He hasn't turned her evil, I just can't see Serena being turned like that, but she has no control over her actions. She's locked away inside her mind. Hottie fight alert for the next chapter! Darien and Diamond will face off against each other. I'm also picturing a catfight between Serena and Emerald possibly coming up at some point. And don't forget that Wiseman is still after Rini. Could Wicked Lady be in the future? Hmm…perhaps…we'll see. Geez, I've gotten violent in my writing lately. This story wasn't quite so physical the first time I wrote it. Oh well, I hope you all enjoyed it. If you get a chance, take a moment to review and tell me what you think. Later gators!

~Sere~


	17. Pain, Rage, and Revelations

**A/N **Hey guys! I had hoped to have this posted a couple of days ago, but I've been so busy with school stuff lately. Then to top it all off my kid got sick. So it was momma to the rescue to make him feel all better. Crisis solved and everything back to normal. Now back to business. Huggy time!!! BIG, GIGANTIC, ENORMOUS HUGS TO:

**GoldenDragon326**

**Seredhiel05**

**Sakura-Chan-Blossom**

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**amaramichelle**

**xo Usako ox**

**RainSummoner**

**Dbzsailormoonavatar**

**S dot Serenity**

**Chimichurri**

**Chibi Kitt**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x**

**Fedski**

**torquoisepeanutbutter**

**anime-lover10**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**tiny2008**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**sailorvs4**

**Danni**

**ElisabethBoleyn**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**missmyrtlemay**

**ange de l'aube**

**afallenblackrose**

**ilovetosmilee**

Thank you so much, as always you guys! You keep me motivated to continue writing. Now I'm going to shut up and let you read.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 17

Pain, Rage, and Revelations

Tuxedo Mask knelt on the floor, staring in disbelief as Serenity held the Silver Crystal in front of her. There was no way that she would actually use the crystal against them, would she? It wasn't possible. Serena was nothing but goodness and light. There wasn't a cruel or hurtful bone in her body. She would never attack them.

He saw her eyes, those empty, dead eyes, flick over each person in the group before settling on him. He shivered at the sight of those emotionless pools of blue. There was no spark, no light in them. She was trapped in her nightmare, the one that had been plaguing her for days.

He remembered her as she sat on his bathroom floor a couple of days ago. She had been sick and shaking from having that horrible nightmare. As she had cried with her head on his shoulder she had whispered, _'I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm afraid that I might. I don't want that to happen.'_

One lone tear was sliding down her cheek as her lips moved silently. _'I'm sorry,'_ her voice echoed in his head, matching the movement of her lips. In that moment he felt a burst of something inside of him, deep in his gut. He was not going to just sit here like a brokenhearted idiot while another man destroyed the woman he loved.

And he knew this would destroy her. If Diamond succeeded in making her use the power of the crystal to destroy them, then the Serena he knew that was locked away inside the shell that was Serenity would wither away and fade from existence. She would never be able to live with herself after that.

He wasn't going to let that happen. He was going to save her, no matter what. As much as he hated to think it, he would even fight her himself. Anything to save her from the grim future that Diamond was trying to force her into.

He saw her raising the crystal above her head as he climbed to his feet. He heard the sobs of the scouts as they watched their princess, unable to believe that she would do this to them and unwilling to take a stand against her even to save their own lives.

"Moon Crystal Power!" she cried, and the Silver Crystal flared to life in a burst of bright, white light.

Tuxedo Mask took three steps to his right and placed himself in between the scouts and generals and the powerful wave of energy that was bearing down on them all. His eyes met hers again, and for a moment he saw her, his Serena, staring back at him.

"I won't let you do this, Serena!" he called out to her. "I won't let you destroy yourself like this."

He felt a rush of his new power flow through him, and then there was a burst of gold light as a transparent wall of swirling golden energy sprang up in front of him.

The energy of the Silver Crystal crashed into it, making him stagger back a few steps. He had no idea what he was doing, or if this would even work, all he knew was that he had to do something, anything to stop her.

Behind Serenity, Diamond began laughing. "Honestly Endymion, do you really think that you can stand up to her? I think everyone is well aware that her power far surpasses your own. You don't have a chance in hell against her and you know it."

He laid his hands on Serenity's shoulders. "Show him what you are truly capable of, my love. Unleash your true power and annihilate him and the others."

More tears were streaming down her cheeks now, and Tuxedo Mask could see something going on in her eyes. They were wide and held a conflicted look, like a battle was going on inside of her. He was starting to feel a little shaky, and wondered if he would be able to hold out long enough to find out which side won the fight.

A piercing scream suddenly erupted from her throat. "Nooo!!!" The light of the Silver Crystal flickered and faded out as she slumped to the floor, gasping for breath.

Tuxedo Mask did the same as the shield he had out up faded away. He fell to his knees once more, but his eyes were fixed on Serena. And she looked back at him with troubled, tear filled, but wonderfully bright, alive eyes.

"Damn it all!" Diamond roared as he reached down and hauled her up by her hair, ignoring her sharp scream of pain. "How did you break my control? You little bitch! I should have killed you when I had the chance."

The scouts, now knowing that their princess had the Silver Crystal and would be protected, launched into action.

"Hey asshole!" Jupiter yelled, a ball of lightning forming in her hands. "Why don't you try this on for size? Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She threw the crackling ball of concentrated lightening at the silver haired prince.

Mars was surrounded by fireballs and fury was snapping like violet flames in her eyes. She held her hands together, pointed out in front of her at Diamond. "Mars Celestial Fire…" The fireballs converged together at her hands and then glowing red discs shot from her fingers. "Surround!"

Venus held an arm above her head, a finger pointing at the ceiling as a long chain of linked hearts fell to swirl around her. "Venus Love Chain Encircle!" She pointed her hand in Diamond's direction, sending the chain flying toward him.

Mercury held her hands up to her chest and began spinning. Streams of water formed around her. She raised her arms above her head and the streams formed a large ball of water. She stopped spinning and flung her arms in front of her. "Shine Aqua Illusion!" A jet of high-pressured water flew through the air.

Diamond heaved a weary sigh. "Irritating pests!" He waved a hand and sent their attacks flying back at them. Luckily the generals got them out of the way before they could be hit.

Serenity struggled in his arms, trying to break free. "Stop it, Diamond! Don't you dare hurt them!"

He glared down at her coldly. "Still the defiant one, aren't you? What will it take to make you see that I am saving you from a bleak future?"

"Let go of her, Diamond!" Tuxedo Mask snarled as he climbed back to his feet. "If you know what's good for you, you'll turn and run now before I get my hands on you. Because I promise it won't be pretty."

"Oh please, like I would feel threatened by you, Endymion." Diamond retorted. "We both know that of the two of you she holds far more power. You just want to hold on to her so that you can exploit her power, so that you can build all of this and get the credit for it." He waved a hand around the room.

"Okay, now I know that you are certifiably nuts," Serenity said in a harsh voice. "Darien's not after my power, you bastard."

He smirked. "Oh really, my dear? Do you see all of this around you? It's all here because of you. You created this city and saved the entire planet from eternal damnation while he gets to sit back and lord over it like it was all his doing. I'm trying to save you from that fate. I'm trying to save you from this!"

He spun her around to face the huge crystal monument behind them, shoving her face close so she could get a good look at the person inside of it.

She let out a screech at the sight of the woman entombed inside the crystal, but his grip remained strong, keeping her confronted by the sight of someone who looked a lot like her, only a little older, laying there like a corpse.

"Now do you see? This is your future if you continue on the path you're on right now. Is this what you want to become, a frozen doll? You have so much more potential than that," Diamond crooned to her.

"No," Serenity whispered. "This can't be my future. You're trying to trick me."

He had the audacity to laugh at that. "I admit that it does sound like something I would do, but I can promise you that this is not of my doing."

"That's bullshit!" Tuxedo Mask growled, inching closer to them. "It is your fault and you know it. I've heard the whole story. She's like that because you attacked the Earth. If it wasn't for you, she wouldn't be trapped in that damn crystal."

Diamond's gaze narrowed, "I never would have had to attack if you had just kept your nose out of my business. Do you know how disgusting it was for me to see such a beautiful creature wasting her life on a pathetic fool like you? You don't deserve her."

"I've heard enough!" Serenity suddenly snapped. She reached her hand into a pocket on her dress and pulled out her broach. She held it up and called out, "Moon Crystal Power!"

Diamond let go of her and jumped back as the ribbons and feathers burst out to surround her. In only moments, Sailor Moon appeared where Princess Serenity had just stood. She ran and jumped into Tuxedo Mask's arms.

"Oh Darien," she cried, flinging her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't want to attack you, but he made me. I couldn't help it. I…"

He cut her off with a quick kiss. "Shh, don't worry about it. No harm done. I'm just glad to have you back. I love you, Serena."

She melted at the sight of his familiar crooked grin. "I love you, too."

"How sweet," Diamond sneered. "I offered you the chance to change your life, Serenity. But since you don't seem to want to take me up on the offer, I have no other choice than to kill you both. After that, I will take the Silver Crystal and combine it with the power of the Dark Crystal, making me the most powerful person in the universe. This planet and any others I want will be mine."

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask suddenly found themselves surrounded by the scouts and generals, who took up defensive positions around them.

"If you want to get to the prince and princess, you'll have to go through us first," Kunzite snarled.

Diamond shrugged. "Easily enough done." He held his hands out in front of him and they began crackling with dark energy. "Say goodnight, everyone."

The double doors flew open with a bang as they slammed open against the wall, and a tiny blur flew across the room to collide with Diamond.

Rini beat on Diamond's legs with her tiny fists as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Don't you dare hurt my mommy, daddy, and my friends you bad, bad man!"

Diamond chuckled and reached down to pluck the angry little girl up by the back of her shirt. "Well, well, hello little Rabbit. It's nice to see you again. Maybe Wiseman has been correct about you after all. Maybe I'll just take you instead of your mother."

"Rini!" Sailor Moon screamed, trying to break through the protective circle of her friends, but they held her back. She didn't understand what Rini's mother had to do with any of this, but the sight of the little girl in Diamond's clutches broke her heart. She wasn't going to let that bastard hurt her.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Rini cried as she twisted in Diamond's grip, her little legs kicking as she fought to get away from him. "My mommy and daddy are so going to kick your butt!"

Diamond made a sound of amusement. "What a funny child. So you think that your parents will save you, huh?" Then he whispered softly where only she could hear, "Hmm, I wonder if they will when they find out your little secret. You see, I know what you have been hiding, little princess. You're the one that took the Silver Crystal, aren't you?"

Rini's movements stilled. "How…how did you know that?"

His lips widened in an evil grin. " I can feel it. Your blood pulses with the same power as hers." He pointed a finger at Sailor Moon. "And it makes sense. After all, I'm sure being Serenity's daughter would give you control of the crystal."

"Daughter?" Sailor Moon whispered, her wide eyes fixed on the little girl. She knew the resemblance between them was uncanny, but knowing that Rini came from the future she had thought that perhaps she was a descendant of hers or something. But her daughter…

She turned to look up at Tuxedo Mask with questioning eyes. No words were needed between them. He nodded his head slowly, answering her question.

'_Oh my god, my daughter,' _Sailor Moon thought frantically. _'She's my daughter. I don't believe this.'_

'_That son of a bitch better get his hands off my baby right now!' _a voice growled angrily in her head.

'_Serenity, is that you? What's going on? Your baby?'_

_'Yes, my baby! How dare that low down, rotten bastard put his hands on my child while I'm lying barely five feet away from him. I would give anything t be able to rip his freaking head off right now!'_

Sailor Moon was stunned. She had thought that the Serenity in her head was the princess from her past, but it was really her future self. She felt dizzy for a moment. This was all so overwhelming.

Rini began wailing, and a crescent moon burst to life on her forehead. Diamond stared at her in awe, but refused to let her go, that is until something completely unexpected happened.

The crystal tomb of Neo Queen Serenity flashed bright white at the same time Serenity's voice screamed in Sailor Moon's head, _'Serena! Catch her!'_

Another flash, and a wave of energy slammed into Diamond, making him lose his grip on Rini as he was thrown to the floor. The little girl began to fall.

In a sudden burst of strength, Sailor Moon broke past Venus and Kunzite and ran forward. With the speed born from all of her early morning dashes to school, she reached Rini and dove to catch her in her arms before the girl had a chance to reach the ground. She twisted around so that she would land on her back and not crush Rini under her. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for the impact.

When it came, it wasn't what she was expecting. Instead of the hard crystal floor, she fell against something that was firm, yet at the same time forgiving. Two arms closed around both her and Rini protectively as she heard a muffled grunt and felt a rush of breath whoosh past her ear.

She opened her eyes and looked down to see the black clad arms clenched tightly around her and the pink haired girl that was curled up against her chest, but she didn't need the visual confirmation to tell her who it was. He always came to her rescue.

Knowing that he had to be uncomfortable being pinned between her and Rini and the hard floor, she quickly pushed his arms away so that she could get off of him. She scrambled up to sit at his side. "Darien, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he reassured her, sitting up and reaching out to touch a hand to her cheek and then to the top of Rini's head. "What about you two? Are you all right?"

She nodded quickly. "I'm okay." She looked down at Rini. "Are you okay, Rini?"

The little pink head buried in her chest nodded.

"So what do you want us to do with the leftovers?" Jadeite called out to them.

They looked over to see that the scouts and generals had all gathered around Diamond, who was sitting on the floor where he had fallen. They all had their eyes trained on him and their hands were poised and ready to attack if he made one wrong move.

He sneered up at them. "As if you idiots could even touch me." Then he turned his head to glare at Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. "This isn't over. You will be seeing me again." Then he shimmered out of view.

"Shit!" Nephrite cursed. "Where the hell did he go?"

Mercury had her computer open and scanned the area quickly. Then she sighed in relief. "He's left the palace grounds. He can teleport out, but he won't be able to teleport back in through the barrier. We should be safe for now."

Thank goodness," Sailor Moon sighed as she slumped against Tuxedo Mask. She felt so tired and drained. It had been an extremely long, trying night, and she had used a lot of energy.

"You're exhausted," Tuxedo Mask whispered in her ear. "Why don't we go find someplace comfortable where you can rest for a while?"

She nodded and felt him take Rini from her before he helped her up. She felt a little dizzy and swayed for a second, and then his arm was around her waist, supporting her. She leaned against his side gratefully.

She turned her head as they were leaving the room to glance back one more time at her future self, lying as still as death inside her crystal tomb. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but at the moment she barely had the strength to put one foot in front of the other. They would have to wait.

The scouts and generals all followed behind them, discussing plans for going after Diamond. They were all pissed that he had slipped away from them so easily and were ready for blood. All of their chatter stopped, however, when a figure appeared in the doorway in front of them.

"Good job. I see you got her back," Sailor Moon heard a deep voice say, and her head snapped up to meet a pair of semi transparent, but nonetheless familiar blue eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat and she pointed a shaking finger at him before she squeaked out, "Oh my god, it's you!" Then her eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted dead away.

Tuxedo Mask felt her sag against him and quickly shoved Rini into Sailor Mars' arms so he could sweep her up into his. He glared at his future self. "What the hell did she mean by that? She acted like she already knew you."

King Endymion rubbed a hand over the back of his neck in a nervous gesture, looking a little sheepish. "Well I kind of popped into one of her dreams one night."

"You what?" Tuxedo Mask ground out. It may seem crazy, but he was actually feeling jealous of himself.

Endymion glared back at him. "Don't get so worked up. It was weeks ago, right after she got her memories back. Diamond went after her in her dreams one night and I knew she wasn't ready to face him, so I stepped in. If I hadn't, he would have gotten his hands on her much sooner, and she would not have been strong enough to throw off his control."

"Oh," was all Tuxedo Mask could mumble, annoyed, yet grateful that some part of him had been there to help Serena when she needed it. It still irked him though that another man had been in her dreams, even if it was technically him.

Sailor Moon let out a low, pained moan, and in a flurry of light, pink ribbons, and feathers, she turned back into Serena. Everyone gasped when they saw the state that she was in.

A magical glamour must have concealed her injuries while she had been in her princess form and as Sailor Moon. But now that she was in her civilian form, the magic faded away.

Tuxedo Mask let out a murderous growl as he took in her swollen cheek and the deep purple bruising around her delicate neck. The white dress that she had been so proud of at the party was torn, barely covering her frame.

He began to shake in fury. "I'll kill him. So help me, when I get my hands on that son of a bitch he'll wish that he'd never crossed me. I'll rip him apart with my bare hands."

"Get mad later," Endymion told him. "Right now she needs rest. Let's get her upstairs."

"Daddy," Rini's teary voice spoke. "Is Serena going to be okay? She looks really hurt."

"She's going to be fine," both Tuxedo Mask and Endymion said together. At any other time it would have been comical, but nobody even cracked a smile.

Tuxedo Mask climbed the stairs quickly, all of the others trailing behind him. He carried her into what would one day be their bedroom, slamming and locking the door in the faces of the outraged scouts. He ignored their angry screams. He wasn't in the mood to deal with them right now.

"They'll get you back for that later," Endymion told him as appeared in the room.

"I don't give a shit," Tuxedo Mask ground out as he laid Serena as gently as possible on the bed. "They can get mad all they want to. I don't feel like having four hysterical girls aggravating me at the moment." He let his transformation fade as he sat on the edge of the bed beside her and took her hand.

Endymion chuckled. "I guess I really haven't changed much over the years, and neither have they. They can still be a pain in my ass sometimes." Then he sighed as he looked at Serena's battered features. "It's just as hard seeing this for the second time in my life as it was the first time."

Darien's sharp eyes darted to his. "So you knew this was going to happen? You knew and didn't do anything to stop it?"

"I couldn't," Endymion said sadly. "Time must be allowed to progress the way it's supposed to. Even changing one tiny event can have dire effects and change the future. We knew what would happen when we invited Diamond here. We knew that he would attack us and all of the other events that were to follow. We could have stopped it from ever happening, and then Rini would have never gone to the past. Your future and my past would have been altered drastically, and not necessarily for the better. Serena and I decided that it was for the best to let things evolve as they were meant to. Trust me, we didn't make the decision lightly."

Darien nodded silently, seeing the logic in what he was hearing. Why would anyone want to mess with a sure thing? Now that he had gotten a peek at what his future could be like, as bleak as it was at the moment, he couldn't imagine it any other way. He didn't care anything about reclaiming the ancient birthright from his past life and becoming king, but knowing that he and Serena would be married and have a child as sweet as Rini was more than he ever expected.

"Can I heal her?" he asked his future self. "I mean, will my power work on her since she has the Silver Crystal?"

Endymion grinned at him. "Yes, your power will work on her. There's more to you than you think, but you'll find out about that later. Do you remember what I taught you earlier?"

Darien rolled his eyes. "Yes I do, oh great teacher. By the way, am I as much of an asshole as you are, or does that come later with age?"

"Trust me, you can be an asshole when you want to," a weak voice rasped from the bed.

Darien looked down quickly; overjoyed to see Serena awake and looking at him with her beautiful blue eyes. He smirked at her. "You think I'm an asshole?"

She tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. "Sometimes." Then she winced and a pained breath hissed through her teeth.

"That bastard," Darien ground out. "I swear Serena, I'm going to make him pay for what he did to you. Now lay still for just a minute." He held his hands over her.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Just a new trick I learned," he told her. "I promise you'll feel much better afterwards."

His hands began glowing gold, and suddenly Serena felt warm. Her eyes fluttered closed as the energy began seeping into her body. She gasped as she felt the throbbing sting in her cheek and the burning ache in her throat disappear.

She opened her eyes again and stared at him in wonder. "How did you do that?"

He winked at her and then grinned. "Like I said, it's a new trick." He waved a hand in Endymion's direction. "Actually, I owe him for teaching me that one."

Serena's eyes darted over to take in the holographic image of the future form of her current boyfriend and groaned. "I'm so confused. This is driving me crazy. I want to know what's going on, right now."

King Endymion chuckled. "Well, it's a little complicated to explain."

Serena arched a brow. "I'm a big girl. I'm sure I can keep up."

'_Woo hoo!' _Serenity's voice cheered in her head. _'That's the way to tell him, Serena. I may love the man, but he can still annoy the hell out of me sometimes.'_

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Serena hissed, gaining the full attention of both men.

A big grin appeared on Endymion's face. "I take it my lovely wife is driving you to distraction, Serena? She does tend to have that effect on people sometimes."

_'Ha! He can be such a hypocrite. He's done his fair share of distracting too. And I never hear him complain when I'm distracting him. He always seems to enjoy it.' _

Serena blushed bright red and clapped her hands over her ears, shaking her head wildly. "No way! Knock it off! That is entirely too much info!"

_'Oh please, not the shy virgin routine. Don't forget that I was you once, and I've been inside your head on and off for weeks. I know all the naughty little thoughts you've had about Darien.'_

Serena buried her face in her hands and grumbled, "That's enough out of you. I can't think with you yapping away inside my head."

All fell silent and she sighed in relief before raising her head to look at the other two in the room. "Now would either of you mind filling me in? I don't have to have the whole story right now, just the basics. First thing's first."

She pointed a finger at Endymion. "Are you really him?" Her finger swiveled around to point at Darien.

Endymion smiled at her. "Is that so hard to believe? You figured it out pretty quick in our first short meeting in your dream."

She held up a silencing finger. "Just bear with me. I said I was covering the basics. Now, the woman that's locked up inside that crystal, that's me, right?"

"Yes. In the future you become Neo Queen Serenity, my wife." Endymion told her. "We rule Crystal Tokyo and the entire planet together."

Serena's head spun for a moment. "Okay. That's a lot to take in. I struggle to make it through school, yet I'm going to be queen of the Earth? Who'd have thought it?"

Both men laughed at her wide-eyed surprise, but grew concerned when they saw her stifle a yawn behind her hand.

"You should rest for a while," Darien insisted. "You used up a lot of energy earlier."

She smiled sleepily. "I will in a minute. I have one more thing I want to know first. It's important."

Darien knew what her question was and answered it before she could ask. "Yes. She's ours. I really can't say I'm all that surprised. I think we both felt a connection to her from the very beginning."

Serena nodded as she lay back against the pillows. She was so tired. But…"Darien, can you get Rini for me? I need to see her."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "Sure. I'll be right back."

She watched as he left the room and then giggled when she heard the raised voices of the scouts bombarding him with questions. She heard King Endymion chuckle and turned her gaze to him.

Unlike in her dream when things had happened so fast, she had a chance to study him. He appeared to only be a few years older than her Darien. The holographic image was a little fuzzy, but she could still see the same unruly black hair and those gorgeous deep blue eyes of his, eyes that she was startled to discover studying her with the same intensity that she was him.

She blushed and looked down, stammering, "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't stare. That was very rude of me."

He ghosted closer to the side of the bed and looked down at her in fond amusement. "It's okay, Serena. This has all been a huge shock for you and you've been through a traumatic ordeal. I wouldn't hold a little bit of staring against you. Besides, I've always liked it when you look at me."

Her cheeks flamed even redder, and she turned her head away. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Was the king flirting with her?

'_That silver tongued devil,'_ Serenity's amused voice sounded in her head. _'He's getting a kick out of this. He knows that I can hear every word he's saying and he's enjoying the fact that for once I can't talk back. Well he better have his fun while he can, because he's getting an earful from me once I wake up.'_

Serena stifled a giggle, but she couldn't hide the grin that appeared on her face. It seemed that she and Darien's relationship wouldn't change even after becoming royalty once again and being married. If what she was hearing from Endymion and Serenity was any indication, the two still loved to pick on one another.

Endymion saw her grin and laughed softly, and then his face became sad. "My love," he whispered. "I know you can hear me. I miss you so much. It's tearing me apart to ramble around here helpless day after day. And every time I see you locked up in that crystal a part of me withers and dies."

Serena felt tears spring into her eyes. His words were so pain filled and heartfelt. She felt her own heart crack a little as she looked at the forlorn king.

'_Oh Darien,' _Serenity cried. _'This is killing me too. Please don't be so upset. This will all be over soon, and then we'll be together again. I love you so much.'_

The tears spilt over in Serena's eyes at Serenity's words. To know that her and Darien's love would endure over the years and the depth of emotion that they would still feel for each other was exhilarating, but at the same time bittersweet considering the current situation.

Wanting to ease the troubled look on the king's face, she spoke softly to him. "Darien, she doesn't want you to be upset. She said this is almost over and then she'll be back." She felt heat rising in her cheeks, but managed to stutter out the next part. "Sh…She says that she loves you very much."

Endymion's look turned grateful. "Thank you, Serena."

'_Yes. Thank you, Serena,'_ Serenity echoed.

The door opened and Darien walked in, holding Rini by the hand. The little girl looked at Serena shyly, like she wasn't sure what kind of reception to expect.

"Rini!" Serena exclaimed with a big smile. She patted the bed next to her.

"Serena!" Rini squealed, running across the room and climbing up onto the bed. She threw herself into Serena's arms, hugging her tightly. "I was so worried about you. You passed out and you looked really hurt."

Serena heard Serenity sigh in contentment and wrapped her arms around the small body, holding her close. "I'm okay now, Rini. Everything's going to be all right."

It fell silent in the room as Serena lay there holding Rini, and within minutes both girls were asleep. Darien pulled the covers up around them and then joined the others in the next room. King Endymion followed him quietly.

Eight pairs of eyes looked up expectantly as he entered the room, their eyes full of burning questions.

"They're both sleeping," he told them. "So now is a good time to talk. We need a plan."

Jake pumped a fist in the air. "All right! Are we going after Diamond?"

Darien nodded his head. "Yes. That bastard is going to pay for what he's done."

"Amen!" Lita agreed, jumping up excitedly. "I'm in the mood for a good old fashioned knock down drag out."

Kyle shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe we should wait for Serena to rest up first. If this fight turns nasty, we may need her."

"Not happening," Darien growled. "I'm not letting that son of a bitch get anywhere near Serena or Rini again if I can keep from it. That's why I want to go take care of this now while she's asleep. This way she'll stay out of trouble."

Raye stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Darien. "This is completely nuts! It's reckless and foolish." Then she began to grin. "I like it."

"I want him to bleed," Mina whispered in an unusually quiet voice. She was sitting on a couch with her knees pulled up to her chest and a dazed look on her face. The sight of Serena's bruised and battered body kept replaying through her mind like a bad dream. "I want him to suffer for daring to lay a finger on my princess."

Amy sat down next to her and put a comforting arm around her. She whispered to her softly, "Don't worry. We'll get him."

"Well count me in," Nick said. "This is too good of an opportunity to pass up."

"Uh, excuse me," Zack interrupted. "I'm not trying to be Mr. Negative here or anything, I want a piece of this guy as much as the rest of you, but we can't all go. Even if this palace is well protected, someone needs to stay here for Serena and Rini."

"I will stay with them," a new voice joined the conversation.

King Endymion, who had been watching the others with consternation, straightened up with a grin. "Ah, Trista. I was wondering when you would join us."

Sailor Pluto curtsied. "I apologize, your highness. There were some matters at the time gate that required my attention."

"I assume all is well," Endymion said.

Pluto inclined her head. "The streams of time are flowing steadily at the moment. There are no disruptions. That is why I felt it was safe for me to leave my post for a while. I had a feeling that I might be needed here."

No one saw the pointed look that passed between the king and Pluto; they were all too excited about their upcoming mission.

"Okay everyone," Darien told them. "Let's transform and get going. I can't wait to break Diamond's face."

After they left, Endymion turned to Pluto. "And now we wait. I hope things work out like they're supposed to."

* * *

"Emerald!" Wiseman summoned. "The time has come for you to take your revenge. You will go to the Crystal Palace and kill Neo Queen Serenity and capture the Rabbit. Bring the child back here to me."

Emerald was stunned. "But Wiseman, how will I gain entrance to the palace. Now that Serenity is back with her foolish little band we have no way to get in there."

Wiseman cackled. "Trust me, Emerald. Go to the palace. You will be surprised to find that a solution to your problem will quite literally stumble into your path."

An evil grin stretched across her lips. This was perfect. Now she would get rid of that moon bitch's hold on her precious Diamond. "It will be done as you wish, Wiseman."

She shimmered from the room, leaving a gloating Wiseman behind her.

"Soon, little princess, I will have you and that Silver Crystal that you stole from your mother in my possession."

* * *

Diamond growled low in his throat as he watched the nine people making their way toward his stronghold. The presence of the scouts and generals barely registered in his brain, his attention was completely focused on the man leading the group.

"So Endymion," he muttered under his breath. "You've come to confront me finally. Good. Now we can settle the matter of Serenity once and for all."

Sapphire stumbled into the room clutching his side. "Brother, you can't mean to fight him. This is insanity."

Diamond gripped the windowsill so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The same vision kept repeating in his head. The stomach churning sight of his princess throwing herself into that worthless earth prince's arms was burned forever into his memory. It made him sick.

"You don't understand, Sapphire," he said slowly. "He won't let her go without a fight. So if he wants to challenge me, I will meet him like a man. I will win Serenity from him fair and square."

Sapphire shook his head sadly. "Diamond, Endymion is more powerful than you give him credit for. Even if you were to win against him, Serenity still wouldn't be yours. I don't see her running to you after you killed the man she loves. Love doesn't work like that."

Diamond barked out a laugh. "Like you know so much about that subject. How many years did you spend chasing after Prizma? And where did that get you? Nowhere."

His comments stung, but Sapphire refused to let him see it. He had to make his brother see reason somehow. "Well what about you? Anyone could see that you were crazy in love with Emerald until Wiseman showed up. I thought for sure that you two were close to getting married until you threw her over. It's no wonder she's turned into such a bitter, hateful creature. You ripped her heart to shreds."

Diamond snorted in contempt, but it didn't stop a long repressed memory from coming to mind. Emerald, laughing softly with him as she tossed her long green hair over her shoulder and gave him a tender smile. Her chocolate brown eyes were soft and warm.

Yes, he had loved her at one time. He wasn't sure how or why that changed. All he knew was that once he had laid eyes on Serenity, no other woman mattered to him. The need to possess her was rooted deeply within him, and he would do whatever it took to have her.

He walked over to a nearby table and picked up a belt with a sword sheathed in the scabbard hanging from it. He strapped it around his waist, painfully aware of his brother watching him with sad eyes.

"Diamond," Sapphire pleaded. "Please, don't do this. You are the only family I have left."

Diamond heard his brother's heartfelt, pain filled words, and hardened his heart. Sapphire was one of the most important people in his life, but this was something that he had to do. He gripped the hilt of the sword in his hand and turned his back on his brother and left the room.

Sapphire watched him go with a heavy heart. There had to be a way to save his brother, but he wasn't sure how. Then an excited look entered his eyes. He pictured Prizma's face as it had been the last time he had seen it. She had been so beautiful, her face alight with the newfound freedom she had found in life thanks to the second chance she had been given.

A hopeful smile crossed his face. He had to get to the Crystal Palace. If anyone had a chance to help Diamond, it would be Serena. He knew that she would do everything in her power to help him, even after what he had done to her. She was just that kind of a person.

* * *

Serena glared at Sailor Pluto as she shoved another bite of food in her mouth. She had always had a healthy appetite, as Darien and Raye loved to point out all the time. But she was also an emotional eater, and times of stress made her eat more than usual. Hence the large mountain of food she was currently plowing through.

Pluto raised an eyebrow at the glare, but wisely kept her comments to herself. She knew that the princess was displeased with her, and she had a good reason for it, but it was for her own good.

There was a distortion in the air a moment before King Endymion appeared in the middle of the kitchen. Serena rolled her eyes at the dramatic entrance and then promptly ignored him. Grabbing a spoon, she reached for the carton of ice cream that Pluto had retrieved from the freezer for her. She dug in with a gusto, maintaining a stony silence.

Endymion chuckled. "Some things never change."

Serena swiveled in her seat and pinned him with blazing blue eyes. "Don't even talk to me! I'm still pissed at you."

He smirked at her, making her temper rise even more. "Oh come on, Serena. I wish you could see that I'm only doing this for your own good."

Serena had woken up a little while ago, surprised to find her and Rini alone in the large bedroom. She had laid there for a moment, watching the little girl in her arms as she slept peacefully and wondering where everyone else was. Then Sailor Pluto had entered the room like an angel sent straight from heaven and enticed her with the promise of food for her growling stomach.

Figuring that was where the others were, she had followed the time guardian to the kitchen after making sure that Rini was securely tucked in. She had hesitated in leaving the little girl all alone, but Pluto had assured her that she would be fine. This was her home after all.

So Serena had accompanied Pluto downstairs, only to discover that the palace seemed to be deserted. She had hurried to the kitchen, thinking that perhaps she may find Lita in there concocting something scrumptious, only to find no one but the holographic king.

Serena had thrown a wall eyed fit, demanding to know where her friends were. Endymion had waited patiently for her to run out of steam before informing her that Darien and the others had gone to the dark moon clan's stronghold to fight Diamond.

Serena had jumped up, hand reaching for her broach so she could transform and go after them. Pluto had barred her way and somehow wrestled the broach from her grip. Endymion had supported Pluto, telling Serena that she needed to stay there inside the security of the palace.

Serena shot another glare at Endymion as she shoved another bite of rich chocolate ice cream into her mouth. "You're right, time really doesn't change much. You are still the same overbearing, arrogant ass you always were, Darien Shields."

Endymion grinned. It wasn't often anyone spoke to him in anything other than a polite and courteous manor anymore. His wife was the only one besides their closest friends who really spoke to him in a normal way, and having her past self sitting there glaring at him with murder in her eyes and sharp words flying from her tongue was extremely refreshing.

He laughed loudly, a deep, true laugh. It was something that he hadn't done in a while, and it felt good. "Come on, Serena. I'm not that bad, am I?"

Serena looked close to tears. "It's not funny! Darien and my friends could be in real danger. I need to be with them. What if something happens to them because I wasn't there to help? I'd never forgive myself."

Endymion sobered. "Trust me, Serena. They'll be fine. Keeping you and Rini safe is the important thing right now."

Serena huffed and looked away, extremely annoyed with this whole situation. How could her friends take off on her to face Diamond and leave her alone like this? She was going to have some words with them as well when they got back.

She opened her mouth to let loose with another tirade, but was cut off when a childish, high-pitched scream echoed down the halls. "Moommmyy!!"

Serena recognized Rini's voice in an instant and jumped up to go find the little girl. Her chair fell over and landed on the floor as she ran for the door.

"Serena!" Pluto called after her, tossing an object through the air when she looked back over her shoulder.

Serena smiled her thanks as she snagged the broach from the air. Holding it above her head she cried, "Moon Crystal Power!" She had a nagging feeling that Sailor Moon was going to be needed.

The palace was massive, and she wasn't sure which way she could go. But then the sound of a scuffle reached her ears along with a few whimpers. She followed it and it led to the room where the queen was entombed. The door was pushed open, so she cautiously peeked inside. Her blood ran cold at what she saw.

Emerald was standing near the crystal casket that held Neo Queen Serenity with a malicious gleam in her eyes. She held a squirming Rini by the hand as she took in the sight of the frozen queen that lay helpless before her.

"Stay still, you little brat!" she snapped at Rini. "So help me, I will knock you out like I did last time if I have to. Now let me just take care of your troublesome mother, and we'll be on our way. Wiseman is waiting for you."

Emerald held her hand out before her, preparing to blast the crystal with a powerful shot of negative energy. It would shatter the casket and most likely kill the woman inside of it.

Rini twisted in her grasp. "No! Mommy! Mommyyyy!" She twisted her head and sank her little teeth into Emerald's confining hand.

Emerald let her go and shrieked in outrage. "You miserable little abomination! You won't get away with that. Get back here!"

"Rini!" Sailor Moon screamed, running into the room.

The little girl high tailed it toward her, shrieking, "Mommy!"

Sailor Moon caught her up in her arms and held her tight, glaring at Emerald. "How the hell did you get in here?"

Emerald looked quite pleased with herself. "It was easy, really. I simply waited outside the gates until the princess came out looking for you and the rest of your rag tag little bunch. She never saw me coming. Using her, I was able to gain access to this so called impenetrable fortress. Now I will get my revenge on Neo Queen Serenity and release my prince from the spell that witch has placed on him."

Sailor Pluto walked in and Sailor Moon quickly handed Rini to the woman. She saw Endymion's shadowy form in the doorway and shook her head at him. Now she knew why they had been so adamant about her staying here. But would it have hurt them to just tell here that instead of using such strong-armed tactics?

She turned hard eyes on Emerald. "I can't allow you to harm the queen, Emerald. I know you think that she somehow has brainwashed Diamond, but it's not true. Diamond has been corrupted by Wiseman. Just ask Sapphire, he can tell you. Neo Queen Serenity had nothing to do with it."

"Bullshit!" Emerald snarled. "Diamond was mine until he saw her. She cast a spell over him that made him turn away from me, the one that loves him more than anyone. I will kill Serenity and then he will be free. So I hope you like going through the rest of your life knowing when the moment of your death will come and who will deliver it to you, because you're about to witness it."

The moon scepter manifested itself in Sailor Moon's hand. She turned to Sailor Pluto. "Get Rini out of here and keep her safe. I've got this one."

Pluto nodded and hurried from the room, taking a screaming, protesting Rini with her. The girl's wails faded away in the distance.

Emerald growled and took a hesitant step forward, looking torn between going after Pluto and Rini, and going through with her revenge. "Damn it! I need that kid. I can't go back without her."

"Tough shit!" Sailor Moon fired back. "There's no way I'm going to let you get your crazy ass hands on her. She's just a little girl. Now I'm telling you nicely to get out of here before you have to deal with me. And trust me, you don't want a piece of me in the mood I'm in."

Emerald shrilled out that annoying laugh of hers. "Oh please, little girl. Like I would be afraid of you. I happen to be the highest-ranking general in the Dark Moon clan. I could beat you with my eyes closed."

She took a step toward the crystal casket and saw Sailor Moon flinch. "What's the matter? Am I making you nervous by being so close to your future self while she's helpless?" She grinned and clicked her long fingernails against the crystal. "I'm actually giving you a better death than you deserve. It will be quick and painless. You won't even be aware of it happening."

Sailor Moon leveled her scepter at her. "Last chance, Emerald. Either you take your psychotic ass out of here, or I'm going to kick it."

"Bring it on," Emerald sneered. "I'm not allowed to kill you, but Wiseman didn't say anything about me not being able to rough you up a bit. So let's see what you've got, moon bitch."

Sailor Moon swung the scepter and felt the Silver Crystal's power spark to life and flow into it. "Moon Scepter Elimination!"

* * *

Darien ducked the last moment, avoiding the sword that had been aimed at him in hopes of separating his head from his body. He had to give the fair-haired prince from Nemesis his due; the man was handy with a sword.

Diamond spun and cursed as he realized that he had missed his intended target yet again. He had always been under the assumption that Endymion never fought, preferring to hide behind his generals, the scouts, and even Serenity, but he was being proven wrong by the earth prince's ability. Endymion was quite well versed in swordplay.

They had been battling each other for several minutes in silence. No words had been needed between them. Each one knew what the other wanted. They both wanted to be the only man in Serenity's life. From the moment Diamond had met them on his palace steps, they had both known what was coming.

The generals and scouts had backed off, acting only as spectators and to watch Darien's back if Diamond tried anything funny. The man was acting like he wanted an honest fight, but with Diamond you could never tell. Nonetheless, the others knew that this was Darien's fight and gave him the space he needed. But one wrong move on Diamond's part and they would be all over him.

When Diamond had pulled his sword, Darien had summoned Prince Endymion's sword. He had briefly considered powering up to his full prince form, but decided that he would be able to move better without the bulky armor.

He wasn't a complete idiot, though. He stayed in his Tuxedo Mask form so that he would have the extra strength and energy of his alter ego. He discarded the mask, hat, and cape. He took off the jacket, vest, and confining tie, leaving him in just the slacks and shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his forearms and the top few buttons undone.

Diamond had prepared as well, foregoing the long cape and thick, embroidered jacket that made up his usual royal attire. He was dressed simply in white slacks and a white button down. He had also rolled back his sleeves and loosened his collar.

They had met with a loud clash of steel against steel, and had been hammering away at each other every since. Within minutes they were both breathing heavy and dripping with sweat.

Darien growled and pushed his wet, black bangs out of his eyes. He couldn't get a hit on the bastard, no matter how hard he tried. Of course, Diamond wasn't having much luck catching him either. He was just grateful that he still possessed ancient memories of training with Kunzite back during the Silver Millennium. He would have been dead long ago if it hadn't been for that fact. Thank goodness Kunzite had been a master swordsman and an excellent teacher. He had taught Endymion well.

He took his stance and prepared as he saw Diamond coming at him yet again. You could clearly tell that the fight was beginning to wear on Diamond. His eyes were beginning to look slightly crazed and his movements were becoming jerky and erratic compared to his earlier fluid movements.

Diamond lunged at him and he spun, out of the corner of his eye he spotted his chance as he saw Diamond stumble and falter for just a moment. Darien grinned to himself. That was all the opening he needed.

He swung his sword around in a wide arc. He felt the little bit of resistance in the sword's momentum as it connected with Diamond's skin and sliced through. He heard the other man hiss sharply in pain and turned to find that Diamond had dropped his sword and had fallen to his knees. His hand was clutched tightly around his upper arm as blood streamed thickly from between his fingers.

Darien couldn't hide the arrogance in his voice as he stood in front of his victim with his sword pointed at him. "I've drawn first blood, Diamond. Do you concede, or shall we continue?"

Diamond sneered up at him. "As if I would lower myself by conceding to a pathetic excuse of a king like you. I honestly don't see what Serenity could possibly see in you. You are nothing but a leech, feeding off of her power to fuel your own."

In a quick, unexpected move, Diamond struck out, chopping at Darien's hand right at the wrist. Darien felt his hand go numb as he lost his grip on the sword and it fell uselessly to the ground.

Diamond took advantage of his moment of distraction and tackled him around the knees, sending them both crashing to the ground. The two men rolled around, fists flying at every available body part they could find as what had started off as a gentlemanly duel turned into a good, old fashioned brawl.

"Knock his freaking head off, Darien!" Mars yelled, flames of satisfaction blazing in her eyes as Darien sent a fist straight into the middle of Diamond's face.

Jupiter was pounding her fists together. "Thatta boy, Dare! Bash that damn pretty boy's nose.

"Aw man, no fair," Jadeite was complaining, "How come the prince gets to have all the fun?"

The other guys just nodded their heads in agreement, but anyone could tell from their stiff stances and clenched fists that they were just as eager as Jadeite and wanted a piece of the action as well."

"Go, Darien, Go!" Mina cheered, jumping up and down in place. "Show that rotten, no good, low down, worthless bastard that nobody messes with our princess and gets away with it!"

Kunzite put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Mina before you explode."

"Oh my," Mercury cringed as Diamond sent a rock hard fist into Darien's jaw, sending the dark haired prince sprawling out on his back. "I hope he doesn't get hurt too bad. Serena would never forgive us."

Zoicite put a comforting arm around her. "Don't worry about it. He can heal himself, remember?"

Her blue eyes lit up a little. "Oh! That's right! Get him, Darien!"

Nephrite watched with intense, slate blue eyes as Darien threw Diamond off of him. Both men scrambled to their feet and stood panting, eying one another warily. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

No sooner had he said this when Diamond drawled, "Well this has been fun and all, but I really have other things I need to be doing. Like claiming my bride and planning our honeymoon. Don't worry, Endymion, I'll be gentle with her. After all, I'm sure it will be her first time. I can't imagine you've ever touched her like that. She certainly seemed shocked enough earlier when I tried. I'll be certain to make it pleasurable for her."

Darien saw red as Diamond's words went through his head. In a flash of gold, he transformed into Prince Endymion. His eyes were cold, and there was no sign of the calm, caring Darien Shields in them. This was the pure embodiment of the proud heir of the Earth, Prince Endymion.

And anyone who had lived in the Silver Millennium knew that the one thing you never did in front of Endymion was speak ill of Serenity. Not if you wanted to live anyway. Diamond was a dead man.

Endymion's armor clinked softly as loped toward Diamond with all of the grace of a predator stalking his prey. He stopped within a few yards of Diamond and stared at him with murderous, condemning eyes.

"Diamond!" he bellowed in his most commanding tone. "You have spoken indecently of Princess Serenity. I will allow no one to make such lewd comments about my betrothed. Your head will roll for this!"

Diamond smirked at him. "Give it your best shot, Endymion."

With a roar of rage, Endymion charged Diamond, who just stood there with crazed grin on his face. Right before Endymion's sword was about to plunge into him, Diamond sidestepped gracefully to the side.

As the earth prince swept by him, he felt a sharp sting in his side. Coming to a halt, he pressed a hand to the stinging area. He felt something wet, and was surprised to find his hand covered in blood.

Diamond chuckled maniacally from where he stood. "You really should work on the flaws in that armor, Endymion. It was only too easy to find a weak spot to put this." He held up the dagger that he'd had concealed in the waistband of his pants. Darien's blood was dripping from the edge of the blade.

That tore it. The scouts all gasped in shock while the generals jumped in quickly to defend their prince.

Jadeite, always quick to anger was quivering in rage. "Drawing a hidden weapon on someone is playing dirty, you sick mother…"

"Jadeite! Stand down!" Kunzite commanded. "Remember your place."

"Yes, little boys, remember your place," Diamond mocked. "One day you will live to regret ever committing your lives to that foolish prince. You call yourselves guardians? What a laugh! Your prince is already dead. You just don't know it yet."

Diamond shimmered out of sight, leaving the heroes standing there in confusion, wondering what his parting words had meant.

"Son of a bitch, that stings," Darien swore. Prince Endymion's armor faded away, leaving him in his black pants and a white tuxedo shirt that was quickly turning red.

Mercury looked concerned. "You may want to take care of that, Darien. It looks serious."

Darien grinned wryly. "It feels serious. I can't believe he got the drop on me like that. I knew he wasn't going to fight fair. I should have been looking out for a move like that."

Kunzite chuckled. "Yes, you should have. I thought I taught you better than that. But I should have known better. One negative word about Serenity, and you go flying off the handle. You always have."

Darien didn't bother to deny it. He knew it was true. He glowed gold for a moment as he called upon his healing powers and hissed out a pained breath as the four inch long gash in his side knitted itself back together. Once he was done, there wasn't even a scar to show where it had been. The area was still a little tender, but it was way better than it was.

"We should get back to the palace," Darien told the others. "I'm sure Serena's probably awake by now and probably trying to tear the place apart. I don't want to worry her any more than necessary."

"Why don't we teleport back?" Venus suggested. "None of us had to fight, so we have more than enough energy. It beats walking back all that way."

Everyone agreed and they formed a circle quickly. Joining hands, they pooled their energy together and teleported. Seconds later they landed outside the front gate of the palace.

Darien held his hand to the scanner and the gates opened with a click. "Welcome home, King Endymion," the computerized voice said. He grinned. He had to admit that the thought of becoming king was starting to grow on him, but only because he knew that he would have Serena at his side.

They trudged up the walkway and into the palace. As soon as they entered they heard a loud crash, followed by screech. Running down the halls toward they commotion, the were surprised to see King Endymion standing in the doorway to the chamber that held Neo Queen Serenity's body with a huge grin on his face. The shocker was that Sapphire was standing next to the king, staring at something with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"You bitch!" they all heard the familiar shriek of Serena's voice. "How dare you call me a trashy whore?"

There were a couple of muffled grunts and the sounds a struggle. King Endymion's smile grew bigger as he called out, "Thatta girl, Serena! You've got her now!"

The others all hurried over to see what was happening, and froze when they saw what was happening inside the room.

Emerald was a mess, that was the only way to put it. Her dress had several tears in it and her normally perfectly styled hair was in complete disarray. She was laid out on the crystal floor, trying valiantly to fight off the petite blonde virago that was currently on top of her.

It was Sailor Moon, but at first glance you almost couldn't tell it was her. The mad woman that was currently aiming for Emerald's eyes with fingers that were curled like claws had Serena's long golden hair, but it had fallen out of its odango style and hung in a tangled mess everywhere.

"Get off of me, you psycho!" Emerald screamed. "I always knew you were crazy, but damn!"

"I promise you, you haven't seen crazy yet," Sailor Moon growled. "You bullied your way in here by using my future daughter so you could try to kill the future me all because you have some deluded idea that I'm trying to steal Diamond from you. I've already told you that I don't want that bastard! You're welcome to him!"

"We should stop her," Mercury murmured. "Serena will be upset if she actually hurts her."

"Hell no!" Venus cried. "This is the most entertaining thing I've seen in a while. Does anyone have any popcorn? I don't want to miss a moment of this."

"Man, that's hot!" Jadeite exclaimed. "Who would have thought that bubbly little Serena could turn into such an avenging angel?…Ouch!"

Sailor Mars had dug her elbow into his ribs. "You are such a pervert! You would think two pigs wrestling together were hot as long as they were both female, wouldn't you?"

"Ah, I taught her well," Jupiter said, her eyes shining with pride. "I always told her that those lessons would pay off someday. That Emerald has got to be a good six inches taller than her and outweighs her considerably, but Serena's holding her own."

Then Emerald bucked her body, sending Sailor Moon skidding across the floor. She landed near her discarded scepter and snatched it up before leaping to her feet and pointing it at Emerald.

"You dodged it the first time, but can you do it again?" Sailor Moon asked in a hard voice.

To her surprise, Emerald looked up at her with tear filled eyes. "Why can't you just let him go? I love him more than my own life. I always have. I just want him back with me where he belongs. Is that too much to ask?"

Sailor Moon paused at the anguished look in the other woman's eyes. It was a look that she knew all too well. The same look that she had seen staring at her every time she had looked in the mirror when she had gone through the horrible ordeal of having Darien captured by Beryl and brainwashed against her.

She lowered the scepter and dropped to her knees next to Emerald. She reached out a gentle hand and touched her on the shoulder. Emerald's head snapped up in surprise.

"I do understand, Emerald," she said softly. "Maybe more than you realize. But you have to understand that I'm not the one that is manipulating Diamond. Wiseman is the one that turned him away from you, not me."

Sapphire stepped forward. "She's telling the truth, Emerald. You remember the way our lives used to be before Wiseman came along. We were all happy together. Diamond wanted nothing more than to have an alliance with the Earth. But Wiseman has corrupted him."

"Sapphire, why are you here?" Emerald asked in a confused voice. "Are you turning your back on Diamond, on your own brother?"

Sapphire shook his head. "No. I'm doing this to save him. I know that the kind man he once was is still inside of him. I believe that Sailor Moon may be the one that can help return him to himself. I came here to ask for her help."

Emerald allowed Sapphire to pull her to her feet, and she fell into his arms. "I miss him, Sapphire. All I want is to have the old Diamond back. Nothing else matters but that."

"I'll help you," Sailor Moon told her. "If there is a chance to free Diamond from Wiseman, I'll do everything in my power to do it. You have my word."

Emerald nodded her thanks as she buried her sobs in Sapphire's chest as he held the woman that had been like a sister to him close.

Sailor Moon felt arms around her and turned her head to look into Darien's deep blue eyes.

"You're something else. Did you know that?" he whispered against her ear.

Sailor Moon sighed. "She loves him. I just feel like I should try to do what I can to help them. Everyone deserves happiness. And Diamond's not acting of his own free will."

"Is it okay to come back in now?" Sailor Pluto's voice asked from the hall. "This little one is not letting me have a moment's peace."

Sailor Moon giggled. "Yes, it's fine. You can release the beast now."

There was the soft pitter patter of little feet, and then Rini burst into the room screaming, "Serena? Darien?"

"Hey kiddo!" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "You weren't giving Trista too hard of a time, were you?"

"Serena!" Rini squealed, racing across the floor and hugging her legs tightly.

Serena laughed and ruffled the soft pink hair. "I told you that everything would be okay, didn't I?"

The little girl nodded before throwing herself at Darien and hugging him as well. "Where were you, Darien? I woke up and everyone was gone."

Darien chuckled and swept the girl up into his arms. "Sorry about that. I had some things to take care of." He felt a little dizzy and set her back on her feet.

Serena eyed him critically. "And how did that go? You look a little ruffled."

Darien felt a sting in his side where he had been injured, but he pushed it away and smiled at her. "Have you looked in a mirror recently, Meatball Head? You're looking slightly tossed about yourself."

She glared at the large bloodstain on his shirt. "Well at least I'm not bleeding. What happened to you?"

Darien tugged at his collar, he suddenly felt very hot. "Well, um, nothing much. Diamond got the drop on me for a second and took a cheap shot at me. That's all. It was just a scratch. Really."

Sailor Moon stared at the size of the bloodstain. "Uh huh, sure. He must have gotten a decent hit on you to make you bleed that much, Darien. I'm not stupid, you know."

He felt his heart start pounding, but he was pretty sure that it didn't have anything to do with his close proximity to Serena. "Look, I'm fine. I healed myself and everything is normal again. End of story.

She didn't look convinced as she watched him closely. He had a fine sheen of sweat on his face and his hands were shaking a little. She reached out and smoothed his stubborn bangs back from his eyes. "You look tired."

He sighed. "Maybe I am a little. Diamond put up a good fight."

She nodded. "Perhaps you should go lay down for a while. It may help you feel better."

Normally he would protest, but he was feeling weaker by the second. His side ached where the dagger had sliced him and his head felt fuzzy. "I think I will. I…"

He broke off as the whole room spun sickly around him. He felt himself falling and a pair of slender arms wrap around him. The last thing he heard before the darkness on the edge of his vision completely closed in on him was her voice calling his name. "Darien!"

**A/N **Sorry…sorry. I know this is another cliffhanger. I'm getting really bad about those lately, aren't I? Uh oh, what's wrong with Darien? They got Serena back from Diamond, and now this. What is wrong with me? Oh, that's right, I recently discovered that I have developed a rare disease called Drama Queenitis. LOL! I'll see you guys next time. Later!

~Sere~


	18. Ties That Bind

**A/N **Sorry for the late update. If any of you are reading Trinity, then you already know that I have had a really messed up last few weeks. First I got really sick, and then I got better just in time to welcome the flood waters here in Middle Tennessee. Fun, fun, fun!!! Anyhow, time for my hugs. I'll even throw in free cookies this time to my wonderful reviewers. BIG HUGS AND COOKIES TO:

Atem's Sister Atea

**sunbeam07**

**sailorvs4**

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x**

**Chibi Kitt**

**snoopykid**

**SailorBoo**

**xo Usako ox**

**anime-lover10**

**RainSummoner**

**Sakura-Chan-Blossom**

**Fedski**

**tiny2008**

**Dbzavatarsailormoon**

**chimichurri**

**GoldenDragon326**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**Ms. Fairweather**

**KristaxD**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**Seredhiel05**

**afallenblackrose**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**ange de l'aube**

**missmyrtlemay**

**AfGhAnCuTiE**

**TanithLipsky**

**serenity'sdream**

I sure hope I didn't forget anyone. If I did, I apologize. I'll leave you to read now. I hope you all like it.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 18

Ties That Bind

"Serena? Serena, can you hear me? If you can, Serena, you need to wake up."

'_Mmm…who is that?'_ Serena thought to herself. _'Is that Mina? Why is she waking me up? I'm so tired. I just want to sleep.'_

'Come on, Meatball Head, this isn't funny anymore. Wake your ass up!"

'_Raye? Why does she sound so panicked? That's not like her.'_

Slowly, Serena began to become aware of her surroundings. She felt the softness of a bed under her. It felt so heavenly that all she wanted to do was sink into it and fade back into oblivion. It would be so easy.

Then she felt the mattress beside her dip in, as if someone were sitting beside her, and then a small, soft hand was in hers.

"Mommy," a sweet childish voice pleaded. "Mommy, please wake up."

The sound of tears in that voice about broke Serena's heart. It pulled her ever closer to consciousness. Wait a minute! Did that voice just call her mommy? She was only sixteen years old for Selene's sake. She didn't have any kids.

Fuzzy images began running through her head as the events of the last couple of days began to return to her. That's right, she was in the future, her future. She was in the Crystal Palace where she would rule as queen someday. And she had found out that Rini was her future daughter, hers and Darien's.

Darien, where was he? She sensed several others around her, but not him. As a matter of fact, she was trying to figure out why she was in bed with people hovering over her anyway. Had she passed out again? She was getting good at that lately.

Then her breath caught as she focused on the last thing she could remember. Darien had been standing before her, his shirt covered in blood from his fight with Diamond. One minute he had been fine, and then his eyes had rolled back in his head as he had fallen toward her. It all went blank after that.

"Darien!" she gasped, her eyes flying open as she sat up in the bed. A wave of nausea and a violent pounding in her head had her clenching her eyes closed as she fell back against the pillows with a moan.

"Easy, Sere," she heard Lita say, and then felt a cool cloth on her head. "Don't overdo it. You took quite a nasty bump."

She took several deep breaths to calm her stomach and waited until the pain in her head had dropped to a level that she could manage before carefully opening her eyes again.

Raye, Mina, and Lita were all standing beside the bed, looking at her with a mixture of relief and concern. Rini was on her other side, her hand still holding tightly to hers.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice coming out barely above a whisper. "I feel like crap."

Raye glared at her. "I guess you do. Only you would be stupid enough to try to catch a guy that is almost a foot taller than you and probably weighs a hundred pounds more. I thought you were getting smarter, but I guess not."

"Hey, give her some credit," Lita retorted. "She was able to hold him up for a few seconds before they went toppling over. I call that a pretty amazing feat, because Darien is all muscle."

Serena was beginning to feel irritated. "Would one of you please tell me what's going on? What happened to Darien? Where is he?"

Rini sniffled beside her. "Daddy got hurt."

Raye and Lita were still bickering, so Serena focused her attention on the one person who had been amazingly quiet since she had woken up. "Mina, what's doing on? Is Darien okay?"

Mina's china blue eyes widened. "He's okay, at least Amy says he is. When he passed out you tried to break his fall. You held him up for a few seconds, but he was too heavy. We heard you scream his name, but we couldn't get to you fast enough. You both fell over. When you did, you hit your head on the edge of Neo Queen Serenity's casket."

Oh. That explained the headache, but it still didn't tell her what happened to Darien. He had healed himself after Diamond had cut him.

"What was wrong with Darien? Why did he pass out like that?" Serena asked.

"I can explain that," a deep voice answered as King Endymion shimmered into view. He studied Serena for a moment with kind, relieved looking eyes. "I'm glad to see that you've finally woken up. You gave everyone quite a scare."

"I'm fine!" Serena snapped. "Nobody needs to worry about me. But what about Darien? Is he okay? What happened?"

"He's stable for now," Endymion said. "He's still unconscious, but doing well considering the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" she asked in a shrill voice. "I'm tired of all of this beating around the bush. Somebody better start talking, right now, or I'm going to start screaming."

She smirked as she saw Mina, Lita, and Raye all scramble to hastily assure her that they would tell her all. Rini had clapped her hands over her ears, and she even saw Endymion cringe at her words. She knew her wailing really got to people, that's why she kept it in her arsenal. It was the best way to get things out of people when they were being evasive or difficult.

"Please don't," Endymion begged. "I promise to tell you whatever you want to know. Just please keep the decibel level down. I may not be in my body right know, but I am certain that you could burst even theses holographic eardrums."

Serena sat up slowly in the bed, mindful of her aching head and queasy stomach. She settled back against the pillows before pinning her future husband with a glare. "Well, I'm waiting."

He heaved a sigh of relief along with the others at avoiding a Serena tantrum. Even his wife, as much as he adored her, was prone to giving into periods of earsplitting wails from time to time, and he had gotten pretty good over the years at heading them off before she could get started.

"It's pretty simple really," he began. "The dagger that Diamond used was made out of a piece of the Dark Crystal. Normally that would be enough to kill somebody on the spot, but he didn't know about Darien's healing powers. Darien would have been fine, but a piece of the crystal broke off and was embedded inside of him. That corrupted his energy and began draining him. That's why he collapsed."

Serena's already pale face whitened even more. Her voice was shaking when she finally whispered, "Is he going to be okay? Stupid question, of course he's going to be okay. You're still here, so he must pull through this. Did this happen to you in your past?"

Endymion nodded. "Yes, it did. But the future is not always set in stone. It was an unpleasant experience, but I pulled through. But that doesn't guarantee that your Darien will. Events can always change. One small, seemingly insignificant thing can alter time drastically."

"So what can we do?" Serena questioned. "You've already been through this, so you can tell us what needs to be done."

The king shook his head. "Unfortunately I can't. I swore a sacred vow to Sailor Pluto that I wouldn't do anything to interfere in the natural order of things. It was the price that Serenity and I had to pay to keep her from erasing our memories of these events."

Serena pushed herself slowly out of the bed, ignoring the protests from her friends that she shouldn't get up. She made her way painfully and slowly across the room until she was face to face with Endymion.

"Are you telling me," she growled, "that you aren't going to tell me what has to be done to save his life? How can you do this to me, to him, to yourself?"

He closed his eyes for a moment as if he was in pain, and then opened them to look at her with tortured eyes. "I'm sorry, Serena. But this is the way it has to be. I can tell you that everything is going exactly the same way that it did in my past. Sapphire realized what was wrong almost immediately, and he and Amy were able to remove the piece of crystal. But it's still touch and go. His life force was severely drained."

Serena glared at him and then whispered harshly. "You better be glad that you aren't in your real body right now, because I would be liable to break your nose. Sailor Pluto's too."

She turned and stumbled her way to the door. She gripped the knob tightly in her hand as the room spun around her. "Where is he?" she ground out. "I have to see him."

"Serena," Mina cautioned. "You're about dead on your feet. Maybe you should just rest, and then later you can…"

"Mina!" she snapped. "I'm really not in a good mood right now. So either one of you can lead me to him, or I'll search this entire monstrosity from top to bottom. I'll crawl on my hands and knees if I have to. So what's it going to be?"

The three scouts looked at each other, and then sighed. They couldn't deny her. Not just because she was their princess, but also because they knew that they would feel the same way if it were one of their boyfriends in the same situation.

Lita ran over to her and put the smaller girl's arm around her shoulders. "Here Sere, lean on me, okay."

Raye joined them on her other side and wrapped a supporting arm around her waist. "I've got you, too. We definitely don't need you falling down again. I'm not sure that even your meatballs are enough to cushion your head from anymore blows, and you need to save your last three brain cells."

Mina chewed her lip nervously. "Amy is going to kill us for letting her get out of bed." Then her face brightened. "Oh well, the goddess of love is never one to stand in the way of true love. Let's go!"

"I'm coming too!" Rini exclaimed, scrambling off the bed.

Serena smiled weakly. "Thanks guys. And don't worry about Amy, I'll smooth things over with her."

Endymion watched the group leave the room with worried eyes. He had hated not being able to tell them anything, but he had sworn to Pluto that he wouldn't, and one didn't cross the time guardian.

"I believe in you, Serena," he whispered. "I know you will do what you need to do to set things back in order."

* * *

The droid scrambled back in fear at the sound of the growl that erupted from the prince's lips.

"What do you mean that both Sapphire and Emerald are missing?" Diamond ground out between clenched teeth. "Maybe you just didn't look hard enough."

"A thousand apologies, your highness," the black haired, female droid begged as she knelt down before her prince. "I searched the entire city thoroughly, but was unable to locate any sign of Prince Sapphire or General Emerald. It's as if they have vanished."

Diamond's fingers clenched into a fist at her words, sending a wave of pain burning down his arm from the wound Endymion had inflicted on him. He had been shocked that the earth prince had been able to wound him, but at least he had gotten the last laugh. The toxic effects of the Dark Crystal should have killed that pompous ass by now.

It was a thrilling thing to think that Endymion had finally been taken out of the equation. Without that pathetic sop around Serenity would be wide open and vulnerable. He just needed to find his brother and Emerald so he could put the next phase of his plan into effect.

"I want you to look again," he commanded the droid. "Leave no stone unturned. There is no way that both of them could have disappeared without a trace. And don't come back to me with your flimsy excuses. Now get out of my sight!"

The droid hurried out the doors of the throne room, anxious to get away from the murderous looking prince and grateful to escape with her life.

Diamond grabbed a bottle off of a table and stalked over to the window where he glared out at the Crystal Palace in the distance. For once he dismissed decorum by bypassing a glass and guzzling the wine straight from the bottle.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Damn you, Serenity. Why do you have to make everything so difficult? Things would go so much smoother if you would just cooperate with me."

He tilted his head back and took another long draft from the bottle as an eerie chuckle echoed around the room.

"So this is what the powerful ruler of Nemesis has been reduced to," Wiseman said in amusement as he materialized in the room. "You hide away and sulk, drowning your sorrows in a bottle over something as insignificant as a woman. How disgustingly pathetic!"

Diamond took another pull from the bottle and ignored the jabs. "What do you want, Wiseman?"

"I've come to you with the solution to your problems," Wiseman told him. "I believe I have found a way to accomplish your goals."

"Oh please," Diamond scoffed. "Like I haven't heard that before. Every plan that we have tried has backfired in our faces. Why would this one be any different?"

"Just hear me out," Wiseman said in a placating tone. "I wouldn't be wasting your time if I wasn't certain it had a good chance at success."

Diamond left his place at the window and threw himself across his throne. "Fine. Tell me this grand scheme of yours."

Wiseman's eyes glowed in the depths of his hood. "It's simple. We storm the palace."

Diamond snorted with laughter. "Right. Like that would work. In case you haven't noticed, that place is locked up tighter than a safe. We would never make it in."

"That's not entirely true," Wiseman rebuked. "I sense that the protection around the palace is weakening. The guardians have been casting their energy for weeks to keep the palace protected, and now they are tiring. If we were to unleash our whole army of droids on the palace at once, I don't think they would be able to keep it up."

Diamond sat forward, a maniacal gleam entering his eyes. "Do you really think it would work?"

"I'm positive," Wiseman said. "Their defenses are weak and the king and queen are out of commission. The only ones standing in your way are the ones from the past, and they are hardly more than children with only a fraction of the power their future selves control. Our victory should be secure."

"Excellent," Diamond sighed as he took another sip of wine. "We'll set this in motion as soon as I track down where Sapphire and Emerald have gotten off to."

"Hmm," Wiseman mused. "I guess now would be a good time to tell you that you won't be able to depend on those two to help you in this. They have turned against us."

Diamond's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? They would never turn against me. They have worked as hard as I have to get us here. You are delusional."

"I'm afraid not, my prince," Wiseman intoned. "The reason why none of the droids have been able to locate them is because they are both shielded inside the security of the Crystal Palace. Sailor Moon has somehow brainwashed them into joining her side. They are no longer our allies."

Diamond shot unsteadily to his feet. "I don't believe you. Sapphire is my brother and Emerald is the most loyal general I've ever had. They would never betray me. If they are inside the palace it's only because they have been taken prisoner somehow."

Wiseman shrugged. "Suit yourself. You'll find out the truth soon enough. So are we moving forward with our plan?"

"Absolutely," the fair-haired prince growled. "We will attack the Crystal Palace as soon as all of the droids are organized."

"Very good," Wiseman cackled as he shimmered out of sight.

Diamond returned to the window and looked out at the sleeping city and the distant palace again with renewed hope. Perhaps he would finally reach his ultimate goal and claim the Earth and its queen as his own.

He smiled as remembered the way the moon princess's body had felt against his. "Watch out, Serenity," he whispered. "I'm coming for you again. And this time you won't get away from me."

* * *

Serena yawned and stretched her arms over her head as she walked down one of the seemingly endless halls of the Crystal Palace. She had spent the last several hours at Darien's bedside, waiting desperately for him to wake up. But he was being stubborn as usual and remaining asleep. Her recent head trauma had made her tired as well, and she had fallen asleep in the chair beside his bed.

Amy and Sapphire had come in a short while ago to check on him and had shooed her out of the room, insisting that she go get something to eat and some fresh air. She hadn't wanted to leave Darien's side, but they insisted that she needed to get out of there for a while and had all but physically shoved her from the room, promising to come and get her immediately if there was any change in his condition.

She felt better now that she had slept a little and her headache was pretty much gone, thank goodness. Her stomach grumbled hungrily, so she figured she might as well swing by the kitchen for a snack. This time she was certain that she would find Lita in there whipping up something delicious, and her mouth began salivating at the thought.

"Geez, someone could get lost in here very easily," she grumbled to herself. "I wonder how many years it took my future self to find her way around, because I am definitely twisted around."

She sighed as the grand staircase came into view. "Finally!" She made her way down the elegant, sweeping stairs to the ground floor.

She paused for a moment at the bottom to get her bearings and remember which way the kitchen was. Recalling that it was down the hall to the right, she headed that way.

Her steps slowed as she approached the large double doors that led to Neo Queen Serenity's resting place. The future queen had been unnaturally quiet lately. It was strange since she had gotten kind of used to hearing the voice of her future self babbling away inside her head at odd moments on and off throughout the past weeks.

She saw that the doors were cracked open a tiny bit, and morbid curiosity got the better of her. She eased them open a little more and slipped into the room before closing them firmly behind her.

The large crystal monument was gleaming softly at the other end of the room, and her feet automatically carried her across the smooth floor until she was looking down once more at the slightly older version of herself.

"I can't believe I still wear my hair the same way in the future," she whispered. "Oh well, I guess there's something to be said for being unique. I can't say much about my fashion sense though, that dress looks like a slightly altered version of the one I wore during he Silver Millennium. Actually it looks more like a nightgown than a dress."

She studied her future self closely for a moment. "You sure have been quiet lately, Serenity. I bet you could tell me what I'm supposed to do next. But that's probably why you're staying away. You know that if you were around I would be bugging you day and night. I know that you and Endymion swore an oath to Sailor Pluto to not tell us anything so that nothing gets messed up in the timeline, but I could use some help right now. I don't know what to do."

A sudden breeze blew through the room, making her hair dance around her. She looked up, and for the first time noticed a set of glass doors that led outside. They were wide open to the early evening and the intoxicating scent of roses was carried in.

Entranced, Serena walked over to the doors and looked out only to gasp at the sight before her. It appeared to be a small, secluded garden, completely overrun by a riotous display of red roses. They grew everywhere, surrounding a sparkling fountain and a comfortable looking gazebo in the center.

A nostalgic feeling swept over her as she stepped out onto the stone path. She reached out to trail her fingers lightly over the petals of a perfectly formed blossom.

"Beautiful," she sighed. A slight movement she saw out of the corner of her eye had her head snapping around to discover that she wasn't alone in the garden.

The ghostly shape of King Endymion was standing by the fountain, staring pensively down into the ripples created by the cascading water. Serena briefly considered sneaking away and leaving him to his thoughts, but he looked so lonely that she found herself approaching him instead.

"Endymion, are you okay?" she asked softly.

He spun quickly with a look of surprise on his face. When he saw her, a small smile tugged at his lips. "I'm fine, Serena. I was just taking a moment to do some thinking."

"Oh," she replied. "Well if you'd rather be alone, I'll just go back inside." She began to turn back, but was stopped by his quiet plea.

"No. Please stay," he said gently. "Your presence is soothing. I shouldn't be standing out here brooding anyway. It won't solve anything."

Serena searched for something to say. "This is a beautiful garden. The roses are lovely. But I guess that shouldn't surprise me. You seem to have a knack with them."

He gave her a wry grin. "Yeah, I guess I do. This is my personal garden. It's kind of Serenity's and my little hideaway. I won't let any of the gardeners touch it. We take care of it ourselves. It's kind of therapeutic after a hard day."

Serena giggled. "And you let me near it. I definitely don't have a green thumb. I could probably kill a fake plant."

He chuckled. "That's true. But your future self does okay as long as I keep an eye on her and help steer her in the right direction." His eyes clouded once more as he looked around. "Looks like we'll have our work cut out for us when this is over. Everything's growing out of control."

"It's still a wonderful place," Serena insisted. "It's strange, I feel like I've been here before, but I know I haven't. It just has a real déjà vu feel to it."

Endymion arched a brow. "You mean you don't remember? Come on, Serena; think way far back into your past, back to the time of the Silver Millennium. There's a perfectly good reason why this feels familiar to you."

Her brow wrinkled up for a moment as she thought back on the sometimes hazy memories of her past life. She gasped as a long forgotten memory sprang to life.

"Omigosh!" she exclaimed. "This looks exactly like the rose garden of the earth palace that we used to meet in when I would sneak down from the moon."

He nodded. "That's right. We wanted a small piece of our past here, so we designed this garden to look just like the one that was so special to us. It may seem corny to some, but we like it."

The golden head shook vehemently. "It's not corny at all. I think it's sweet. It must be hard trying to run a kingdom, so it's nice to have a place where you can escape for a little while. I still can't believe that I'm going to be a queen someday. Me, ordinary little Serena Tsukino, is going to become the queen of the entire Earth. It's a total blow away."

He gazed at her fondly. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I can assure you, you are a wonderful queen. People all over the planet adore you, and you have done wonders for the Earth."

She grinned at him. "I'll just have to take your word for it, because honestly right now I can't see it. I'm just a high school student that happens to be able to fight monsters on the side."

Endymion reached out a hand to touch her face and sighed when his transparent fingers passed through her skin without making contact. "You're so much more than that, Serena. You are the strongest woman I have ever known. You're still young and have more things to experience and learn, but I have complete faith in you."

He pulled his hand back with a tired chuckle. "We make a pretty sad pair, don't we? Here we are, both separated on a conscious level from our other halves, only to be tormented by the sight of the one we love from another time. It seems that fate still enjoys playing cruel jokes on us."

Serena was at a loss for words. "Endymion…I…"

He stared deeply into her eyes. "Don't call me that. Call me Darien. Serenity never uses my formal name when we are alone."

Her heart cracked a little at the broken expression in his midnight blue eyes. "Okay, Darien it is then. There was something I was thinking about, and I wondered if you could answer it for me."

He eyed her dubiously. "I can try. But like I already told you. I can't tell you any more about the future than you already know."

"No, no, no, it's not anything like that," she hastily assured him. "This has to do with the past. Well, my recent past anyway. I was just wondering, why did you send those nightmares to my Darien? What were you trying to accomplish by doing that?"

Understanding lit his eyes. "Ah! I was wondering when that subject would come up. Why don't you take a seat, this could take a few minutes."

Serena perched herself on the side of the fountain and smoothed the wrinkles out of the skirt of the pale blue cotton dress she was wearing. The king had graciously told her to take whatever she needed from the queen's closet since her beautiful white party dress had been damaged beyond repair. It was a little big on her, showing that her body still had some growing to do in the years to come, but it was better than walking around in that tattered mess.

She looked up at the king with an expectant expression. "Okay, I'm all ears."

He appeared to be a little nervous and uncomfortable. "Right. Well, there are a few different reasons for why I did it. The most obvious one being that it was done to me in my past, so I did the same thing to my past self to preserve the timeline. But there are more important reasons for my actions."

The younger version of his wife tilted her head to one side. "Such as…?"

His transparent fingers came up to pinch the ghostly bridge of his nose, a movement that Serena knew from being around Darien that meant that he was stressed and thinking hard about what to say.

"Darien," she said gently. "It's okay. You can tell me. I won't hold it against you. I just want to understand why."

He sighed and nodded. "And you deserve to know, especially after the pain you went through because of my actions."

A sad smile touched her lips. "I don't think I'm the only one that suffered from that incident. It was a rough time for your past self too. That's why I don't think you would have tried to break us apart unless you had a very good reason for it."

Remembered pain flickered in his eyes. "I did hurt. Breaking up with you was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do in my life. But I had to do it in order to secure our future and make sure that we ended up here together."

"But why…?" Serena began, only to be cut off as Endymion raised a silencing hand.

"Please, let me finish," he requested. "Put yourself in my shoes for a moment. There I was, seventeen years old, and my whole life had been turned upside down in a matter of months. I had become a masked super hero, discovered my past life, been kidnapped, brainwashed, killed, and brought back to life.

You were the center of everything that kept me grounded, and you couldn't remember any of it. I convinced myself that it didn't matter, that we could be together anyway, even if you didn't remember our past and how deep our love actually went.

The future would have been drastically changed if you had never recovered your memories. You and Darien have a lot to face in your future, and you will fail unless your love for each is strong and true. I had to do something to ensure that the bond between the two of you was as strong as it could be.

If I hadn't intervened, your memories may never have returned and the relationship between you two would never have become what it should have been. This future would not have come into existence. True, Diamond would have never attacked us, but that would be because life on Earth wouldn't exist in this time.

Without Sailor Moon and the love you share with Darien and your friends, this world would have been destroyed by other enemies years ago. So it was important that I test you and make sure that the bonds that hold you together were solid as they could possibly be. That is the only way we will be able to win this fight."

He stopped speaking and studied the golden haired girl before him, wondering what her reaction would be. His wife had forgiven him for his actions years ago, but he wasn't sure what to expect from her younger counterpart.

Serena trailed her fingers through the cool water of the fountain as she thought over his words. It was a lot to take in. Time was definitely a mysterious thing. She had never given much thought as to what her future would be before coming here. But now that she had seen a small glimpse of what her life would be, and knowing that she would be with Darien and that they would have Rini, she didn't blame him for wanting to make sure that things went the way they were supposed to.

Endymion sighed and began pacing nervously. "I'm sorry, Serena. I know what you must think of me."

She looked up in surprise to watch his irritated movements. "Darien…"

"I mean, I know I'm really a selfish bastard deep down inside," he continued on. "But I really felt like it was for the best at the time."

She stood and tried again to get his attention. "Darien…"

He continued pacing, not even acknowledging her voice. "Honestly, I don't see how you've put up with me all of these years. If it had been anyone other than you, they would have…"

Serena planted herself right in his path. "Darien! Stop it!"

The startled king pulled himself together and looked up just in time to bring himself to a halt just inches from walking right through her. His anguished blue eyes bore into hers.

"That is enough!" Serena demanded in a harsh tone. "I don't want to hear any more of your apologies. You explained everything to me, and I understand why you did what you did. I probably would have done the same thing if I had been in your position. So I don't want to see you beat yourself up anymore over it. It's over and done, and I forgive you for it. And if my future self has a problem with it, then she seriously needs to have her head examined."

Relief swept across his features. "Thank goodness. I wasn't sure how you would take it. So are we okay?"

She grinned at him. "Yeah, we're cool. Just please tell me that this is the only idiotic scheme of yours that I have to put up with. I don't know if I can take another break up."

Endymion chuckled. "I promise. As long as time moves forward like it's supposed to, we never break up again."

The sound of shuffling footsteps on the stone path had them both looking up to see Rini heading toward them. Her hair hung loose around her and she was dressed in a pair of pajamas. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at them.

"Daddy," she mumbled in a sleepy voice. "I can't sleep. Can you tell me a story, please?"

Serena began backing away. "I'll leave you two alone."

Endymion shook his head. "You don't have to go."

She smiled softly. "I don't mind. You deserve some private time together. One day it will be my turn to tell her stories, and I can wait until then."

She turned and escaped back into the palace, heading for her original destination to get something to eat, leaving the father and daughter alone in the garden.

Endymion watched until she was out of sight before turning a smile on his daughter. "Okay pumpkin, let's go back to your room. What story did you want to hear tonight?"

Rini beamed at him. "Can you tell me the one about when Sailor Moon fought against the evil queen and her circus? The one where the little sailor scout and the Pegasus came to help?"

Endymion chuckled at her enthusiasm. "I think I can do that."

* * *

Emerald sighed as she laid her forehead against the cool glass of the window and stared out in the direction of Diamond's stronghold. She was unable to see the crystal structure in the darkness, but she knew it was out there.

There was a burning ache in her heart. She could feel Diamond's anger inside of her, and she longed to go to her prince and offer him the comfort of her arms.

"Don't even think about it, Emerald," Sapphire said as he walked into the room. "You won't be helping him by going back to him."

She closed her eyes as pain ripped through her. "I know, but it's killing me to stay away from him. He's in pain, Sapphire, both physically and emotionally."

The dark haired man pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "I know. I can feel it too. But we have to remember that we are doing this for his own good. I believe that Sailor Moon is our only chance if we want to save him and bring him back to being the man he used to be."

Emerald looked up at him with teary chocolate brown eyes. "Do you really think she can save him? I would feel more confident if Neo Queen Serenity were awake. Sailor Moon is hardly more than a child."

Sapphire chuckled. "Don't hold her age against her. That girl has pulled off her fair share of miracles over the past weeks."

"Oh really," Emerald sniffed. "And what has she done that is so miraculous?"

He hesitated for a second, debating whether or not to tell her his secret, but decided there was no reason to keep it from her any longer. They were fighting for the same cause, and this impacted her life too.

"She didn't kill Rubeus and the girls," he said softly. "She healed them and gave them a new life. They are all alive and well, enjoying their newfound freedom in the past."

Emerald was shocked. "You mean they've been alive all of this time? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I did it to keep them safe," he replied. "I was afraid that if Diamond found out about them that he would go after them and kill them. I was trying to protect them."

Insight lit her eyes. "Ah, I see. You were protecting Prizma. When are you going to wake up and just marry the girl? The two of you have been dancing around each other for years. It's time to give it a rest and put both of you out of your misery."

Sapphire blushed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "It's funny you should say that," he said as he pulled a small velvet pouch from his pocket. He opened it to reveal a ring with a jade green stone nestled into a platinum band. "I made this a while back with the intentions of proposing to her the moment we have this unfortunate business behind us. I just hope she says yes."

The emerald haired woman smacked him on the arm. "Are you kidding? Of course she'll say yes. She would be a fool not to. Anyone with eyes can see that you are crazy about each other."

A grin tilted up his lips. "I hope you're right. And who knows, maybe you'll have a ring on your finger when all is said and done."

Her eyes misted over again as she thought of her lost love and all that they had once meant to each other. "That would be a dream come true. And I'm going to try everything in my power to make that happen. I want Wiseman to pay for what he's done to Diamond."

Sapphire pulled her in for another hug. "Oh he's going to pay. He's going to find out the hard way that no one messes with the Dark Moon family and gets away with it. And with Sailor Moon and the others behind us, I'm sure we will win."

* * *

Serena met Amy outside the door to Darien's room just as the blue haired girl was leaving.

"Hey Ames, how's he doing," Serena asked hesitantly.

Amy gave her a reassuring smile. "He's doing much better. His energy level has come up some and he appears to be healing quickly. He's resting quietly and doesn't seem to be in any pain." She tilted her head to study her princess. "You look refreshed after your outing. How are you feeling?"

Serena put her carefully practiced happy smile on her face. "I feel great. My headache's gone and my stomach is nice and full thanks to Lita. I guess it's a good thing I have such a hard head, huh?"

Amy wasn't fooled by her cheerful act. She could see the underlying tension and worry that Serena was trying to hide from her, but decided to let it slide. "That's great, but try not to overdo it. You should probably get some more rest too. Head injuries are nothing to play around with."

Serena waved her off. "I know. I'll be okay. I'm just going to pop in and sit with Darien for a little while. There's nothing strenuous about that."

The ice senshi eyed her critically for a moment before sighing. "Okay, but I meant what I said. Get some rest. We don't need you passing out from exhaustion."

"Yes ma'am," Serena chirped with a mock salute as she pushed open the door and slipped inside the bedroom. The moment the door was securely closed behind her the smile melted from her face and the worry in her eyes shown through.

She made her way quickly to the side of the bed where her ebony haired prince lay quiet and unmoving. She perched on the edge of the bed and took one of his hands in hers.

Amy was right; he did seem to be resting peacefully. Some color had returned to his face and his breathing was deep and even. Someone, Zoicite probably, had removed his bloodstained clothing and dressed him in clothes that had been pilfered from the king's closet. The soft white shirt hid his injuries and made it appear as if he had just laid down to take a nap.

His stubborn hair hung down into his eyes, as always, and Serena reached out with a soft hand to gently smooth it back.

"Darien," she whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I wish you would wake up. It's tearing me apart to see you like this. I would give anything for you to just open your eyes and look at me. I wouldn't even mind if you called me Meatball Head, as long as you were hear with me."

Tears began building in her eyes and her breath became shaky. Her talk with the king had opened her eyes and had shown her exactly how deep the bond between her and Darien went. They were two halves of a whole, and she depended on him to be her rock of stability.

She lost the battle with her emotions as the tears spilled over. She carefully lay down next to him and buried her face in his chest as she cried.

"I need you, Darien," she sobbed. "I am nothing without you by my side. You have to get over this, you just have to. We have a beautiful future ahead of us, and I want to experience it with you. Please. I love you so much."

She continued to cry against him for several minutes until she had exhausted herself and fell asleep with her head cushioned on his shoulder.

As she slept, a silver glow began to form around her, feeding energy into the young man at her side. A faint golden aura appeared around him, and continued to grow stronger as the minutes passed.

A shadowy figure appeared in the room, and the king surveyed the pair with a happy smile on his face. "The bond between you two is stronger than ever now. Everything is as it should be."

He flashed himself from the room and to the side of his sleeping wife. He touched his ghostly fingers to the crystal as emotion choked up his throat.

"It won't be long now, my love, and I'll have you back with me," he whispered brokenly. "Our past selves will soon face the enemy, and then we'll be set free once more."

Back in the bedroom, Darien stirred as he came awake. As consciousness returned, he became aware of a weight lying on his chest and opened his eyes to find his blonde angel snuggled up against him.

The smile on his face quickly faded when he saw the tear trails that were drying on her cheeks. He thought back to the last few moments that he could recall, and remembered the panic that he had heard in her voice as she had cried his name. His poor little bunny must have been so worried about him.

"I'm sorry, Serena," he murmured as he wiped away the traces of her tears with gentle fingers. "You don't have to worry anymore. I'm here with you, and I'm not going anywhere."

He wrapped his arms securely around her and kissed the top of her head as they both slipped off into a soothing, rejuvenating sleep.

* * *

Diamond passed a hand over his tired eyes as he studied the results of his last several hours of work. He wasn't the computer genius that his brother was, so it had taken him longer to do, but he had finally completed his goal. Sapphire's creations, their entire army of droids, were programmed and ready to strike the Crystal Palace on his command.

He was risking a lot by turning his whole force on the palace, and casualties would probably be high, but it would be worth it if this plan worked.

"Is everything in place, Prince Diamond?" Wiseman asked as he appeared in the room. "Are we prepared to take out our enemies?"

"It's all set," Diamond replied. "Every droid we have will attack the palace in full force as soon as I give the order."

"Very good," Wiseman commended him. "Soon you shall be rewarded for all of your hard work."

Diamond's eyes gleamed. Yes, soon he would witness the final culmination of his plans.

"I'm going to get some sleep," he told Wiseman. "We will attack tomorrow."

"As you wish," Wiseman answered as he bowed his hooded head. Once the prince had left the room, he cackled gleefully.

"Poor, clueless little prince. You think that this will be a victory for you. But in the end I will be the one that triumphs."

His crystal ball swirled to reveal the small, pink haired princess of Crystal Tokyo. "Once I have the key to opening the dark gate, dark energy will engulf this planet and destroy it. Then the rest of the universe will be mine for the taking."

* * *

"Really, Lita, did you really have to make so many cookies? We're not feeding an army you know," Raye grumbled as she eyed the plate stacked with a towering mountain of chocolate cookies.

Lita wiped at a smudge of flour on her cheek as she surveyed her handiwork. "I know, but these are Serena and Darien's favorite. I just wanted to be prepared. They're probably going to be famished when they wake up."

"True," Mina quipped as she snatched a cookie from the pile. "But you sure are blowing all of our diets by tempting us with these."

Amy looked up from where she was reading a book that she had found in the palace library. "They really shouldn't fill up on sweets after the ordeal they have been through. They need nutritious, healthy food."

"Yeah yeah, I've got it covered," Lita drawled as she gestured to the massive, restaurant sized stove that had various pots and pans simmering on the surface.

"How much longer are they going to sleep, anyway?" Raye grouched. "Serena I can understand, she uses any opportunity to sleep. But Darien's never been the lazy type. I figured at least he would be up and about by now."

"Way to be harsh, Pyro," Jake joked as he reached around her to snag one of the tempting, sugary confections. "The guy did almost die, you know. Cut him some slack."

They had all gone and checked on their prince and princess the night before, and had found the two of them sleeping peacefully in each other's arms. Amy had scanned them both and had proclaimed them to be in perfect health. They were just recharging with some much needed sleep.

"But it's noon," Raye complained. "They should be up and around by now. They slept all night."

"Are you sure they slept?" Jake asked, wagging his eyebrows. "They could have woken up in the night and tired each other out again with some…extracurricular activities."

"You're such a perv!" Raye screeched as she lunged at the snickering blonde who ran to hide behind Nick's larger form.

"Haven't you learned yet to not antagonize her?" the chestnut haired young man asked his friend. "One day she's going to grill you up like a steak."

Jake just grinned goofily. "But it's so much fun. Besides, she would never actually hurt me. She loves me to much."

"Yeah, about as much as I love the plague," the fire priestess muttered as she slumped back into her seat and giving into temptation. She grabbed a cookie and began munching.

"So, should one of us go and wake up the happy couple?" Kyle asked from his seat at the table.

Mina shook her head as she slid into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "No. Leave them alone. Trust the goddess of love, they'll be out when they're ready."

"I didn't fully realize how quiet it's been around here these past weeks," King Endymion said from the door where he had been watching the past forms of his friends in amusement. "Having all of you here reminds me of how much noise you can all make."

"Hey! Not all of us are noisy!" Zack exclaimed from where he was seated next to Amy. They looked like a perfectly matched pair since they both had large books lying on their laps.

Endymion smirked and shook his head. He really had missed having the scouts and generals around since this whole nightmare started. They could be bossy and overbearing at times, but they were his and Serenity's best friends.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Rini squealed from her perch at the high counter. "I helped Lita make cookies!"

Endymion laughed at the sight of his daughter's chocolate smeared face. "I see. But I think you got more on you than you did in the cookies."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Nuh uh! There's lots of chocolate in the cookies, and they taste delicious. Lita says we have to save some for Serena and Darien, but I'm saving some for you and mommy too so you can eat them when you wake up."

Endymion's eyes shown with emotion at her words. "Thank you, pumpkin. I look forward to it, and I'm sure your mother will love it as well."

Rini spun her stool around with a dazzling smile on her face. "I dreamed about mommy last night. She told me that she loved me and to be careful and that she was coming home today. I can't wait! I'm so excited!"

All remaining eyes in the room snapped up to look at the king. He answered the unasked questions in their eyes with a slight nod of his head. The final battle would occur today, but little did they know that Diamond would be the least of their worries. The king wished that he could warn them, but kept his thoughts to himself. They would find out on their own soon enough.

* * *

"We really should get up," Darien groaned as he lay on the bed.

The petite blonde draped across him growled in response. "Do we have to?"

His husky chuckle tickled her ear. "Serena, it's after noon. Honestly I'm surprised that no one has come barging in the door before now. Besides, I'm hungry. And if I'm hungry, I know you have to be."

A rumbling sound from her stomach gave her away, but Serena still didn't move from her spot. They had actually been awake for a few hours, and after their joyful reunion they had been content to just lay there talking about recent events in between earth shattering kisses.

Another loud growl issued from her stomach, making her snort in disgust as she pushed herself off of the raven-haired prince. "Fine! I give! Let's go find some stinking food!"

Darien chuckled at her pouting expression. "This is a change. I've never known you to not jump at the opportunity to eat. Are you sure you're feeling okay?" He ran his hands through her hair near her scalp; searching for any evidence of the bump she had told him about, and finding no sign of it.

She giggled and tickled his ribs. "I'm fine, silly. You're the one I was worried about. You were in much worse shape than I was. I should be asking you if you're all right."

I'm perfectly fine," he gasped out between the laughs that her tickling was causing him. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the bed to stop the torment as he loomed over her.

"So I see," she whispered softly as she gazed up at him with sparkling eyes. She licked her suddenly dry lips.

Darien suppressed a moan at the sight of her pink little tongue swiping across her rose colored lips. He pushed himself up off the bed in a hurry to avoid the temptation she was stirring up in him. He avoided looking at the blonde that was still lying across the bed and began straightening his wrinkled clothes.

"What the hell," he muttered under his breath as he took in the gray sweatpants and soft white t-shirt he was wearing. "These aren't the clothes I was wearing before."

Serena sighed as she sat up. "Your other clothes were covered in blood when your wound reappeared. Endymion was nice enough to offer us the use of his and Serenity's closet while we're here. You just better be glad that your tuxedo refreshes itself after every henshin, that thing was trashed."

For the first time he realized that Serena was wearing a rumpled blue dress that he had never seen on her before. Evidently it must have come from the queen's closet because the only clothes she had with her was the mangled dress she had worn to the party.

"Well perhaps we should go hunt that closet down," he replied. "I'm sure you would like to freshen up, and I would prefer to be seen in something a little more decent."

Serena grinned and grabbed his hand before pulling him out the door and down the hall to the royal suite. She ushered him through the sitting room and into the bedroom where she flung open a set of double doors.

Darien gaped in shock. "This isn't a closet, it's a nightmare. It's as big as my entire apartment."

"I know! Isn't it great?" Serena gushed as she dragged him inside the cavernous room that was filled with more clothing than most stores had.

She rushed him past racks that held long, formal dresses and expensive looking, tailor made suits. It was definitely a wardrobe fit for royalty.

Serena finally came to a stop at the back of the room, where surprisingly there was a modest assortment of ordinary looking men's clothes.

"Help yourself," she announced with a wave of her hand. "Your tennis shoes survived the blood bath and they're over there," she said as she pointed toward a corner. "Anything else you can possibly think of is either hanging up or in the drawers. Now I'm going to go find something to change into."

He made a grab for her as she moved away. "Don't leave me alone in here! I'll get lost!"

She giggled and pushed him away. "Be serious, Darien. It's not that big of a closet. And I'm not going that far. I'll only be about fifteen feet away." She twirled away and began perusing a rack that held some of Serenity's casual clothing.

He shook his head and turned around to look at his choices. In less than a minute he had picked out a faded pair of jeans and a black, long sleeved, button down shirt, and had slung them over his arm.

"You can take a shower if you want," Serena called out to him as she pulled a shirt off the rack to look at. "I took one last night, and let me tell you, the bathroom is amazing. The shower is huge, and it has so many showerheads in it that it's like being in your own personal rainforest."

He groaned at the thought of a shower. He felt grungy after everything that had happened, and the thought of being clean again sounded heavenly. He didn't now how Serena stood being so close to him.

"I think I'll do that," he said, walking out of the closet and leaving Serena to fawn over the clothes. He took a moment to admire the opulent bathroom with its sunken tub big enough for two as he waited for the water to heat in the massive shower.

There were two sinks set into the long vanity counter. One obviously was Serenity's since there was a pink toothbrush in a holder beside it and a hairbrush that had long pieces of golden hair still clinging to it. There were also scattered hairpins and a bottle of her favorite perfume, along with several tubes of lip-gloss and other cosmetics.

The other side was as neat as a pin. A blue toothbrush, a comb, a stick of deodorant, and a bottle of cologne were all that could be seen. As a matter of fact, it looked just like his bathroom at his apartment.

"Guess I'm not much for change," he chuckled to himself as he stripped off the borrowed clothes and stepped into the shower. He sighed as the warm water began to work wonders on him. He reached for the shampoo with a snicker. A thousand years later, and he still used the same brand.

He quickly fell into his old routine and was finished in a matter of minutes. He dressed himself in the king's borrowed clothes, pleased to find that they fit pretty well. The shirt was a little loose through the shoulders, but not too bad. He left it untucked and rolled the sleeves back to his elbows.

Trusting in another one of his old habits, he looked in the drawer under Endymion's sink. Sure enough, he found a couple of brand new toothbrushes and a pack of razors. The blue toothbrush on the counter may technically belong to him, but he wasn't about to share, not even with his future self.

He felt like new after he had tackled his teeth and the two days worth of stubble that had built up on his face. He returned to the bedroom, expecting to find Serena waiting for him there, but found the room surprisingly empty.

He laughed to himself. Knowing Serena, her stomach probably finally caught up to her, making her flee to the kitchen to wait for him there while she satisfied her never ending appetite.

He was about to leave when he noticed that the doors to the monstrous closet were still open. Maybe she hadn't left after all.

He entered the closet and began making his way through the maze of clothing racks. "Serena, are you still in here?" he called out softly.

When he didn't get a response, he turned to leave once again. But a slight movement off to the side had him whipping his head around to see what it was.

His breath caught in his throat and his heart began pounding at the sight before him. Serena stood in front of a three-way mirror, seemingly entranced with the sight of herself that was reflected back from different angles.

She was wearing a floor length dress of bright, blood red velvet that had a wide, full skirt that flared around her. The top had a simple bodice that was held up by thin straps made of glittering stones. They could have been rhinestones, but considering this dress was made for a queen, they could just as easily been diamonds.

Darien felt his feet carry him until he was standing behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her back against him. "Beautiful," he whispered against her ear.

Serena jumped at his touch, realizing that she was no longer alone. She blushed wildly as her eyes met his in the mirror.

"I couldn't help it," she muttered. "I saw this one hanging up and I just had to try it on."

Darien couldn't help but laugh at her embarrassed innocence. "Leave it to you to play dress up in a queen's closet."

She scrunched her nose up and stuck her tongue out at him. "Those are the best places for it. When I was little and lived on the moon, I used to play in my mother's closet all the time."

He shook his head in amusement at the mental image of a young Princess Serenity being swallowed up by one of Queen Serenity's voluminous gowns. "I guess some things never change."

She giggled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I guess I better change into something else. This dress looks really expensive, and I wouldn't want my future self getting mad at me if it gets messed up." She tugged at the loose neckline. "It doesn't fit right anyway. I guess I still have some growing left to do."

Darien's throat went dry when he thought about what part of her body would have to grow in order to fill that dress out. At sixteen, she already looked very mature, but remembering what the sleeping queen downstairs looked like, he knew that she was going to turn into a total bombshell.

Serena scampered off behind a privacy screen, and after the sound of a zipper being pulled down, the red dress was slung over the top. Darien swallowed convulsively as he imagined her behind it, wearing barely anything.

"Oh shoot!" came her muttering voice. "Hey Dare, do you see a pink shirt out there anywhere? I think I forgot to bring it back here."

He looked around and spotted the light pink cotton shirt lying on a padded seat. "Uh, yeah. It's right here."

Her long arm appeared from behind the screen. "Could you bring it to me, please?"

He shook his head. He could handle this. He was just putting a shirt in her hand after all. He picked up the article. "Sure."

He walked over and reached out to put it in her hand. Just as he almost accomplished it, her head popped around the edge of the screen.

She smiled brightly at him as she took the shirt from him. "Thanks sweetie!"

She ducked back out of sight, but not before he caught a quick glimpse of her. She was wearing a pair of jeans that rode dangerously low on her hips and her upper body was bare except for a lacy, white, almost see through camisole.

He couldn't stop the low moan that vibrated in the back of his throat. He gulped a few times. "Hey, Sere. I'll just wait for you outside, okay?"

"Sure thing," she replied as she listened to his retreating footsteps with a grin.

Contrary to what her prince thought, she wasn't as innocent as she appeared to be. She knew how things worked between men and women. The goddess of love was one of her best friends after all. And Lita and Raye were just as boy crazy.

No, she wasn't naïve. She knew exactly what she was doing. Almost losing Darien had shown her exactly how deep their relationship was. She knew that she would never be with anyone other than him.

She pulled the shirt over her head and slipped her feet into a pair of tennis shoes as she giggled quietly. Her prince better look sharp, because once all of this mess was behind them, she was fully intending to take this relationship to a whole new level

* * *

Diamond grinned as the Crystal Palace loomed before him. At first glance it appeared to be unprotected, but he could feel the resonating hum of the powers being cast by the sailor guardians that protected the palace and the royal family.

His large army of droids stood behind him, tense and ready as they waited for his command. Finally, his moment of victory was at hand.

"They're all yours my pets. Make me proud," he told them as he gestured toward the large crystal structure. "Just remember that Serenity is not to be harmed. Do whatever you want to the others, but bring her to me."

"Yes, my prince," the droids hissed as they sprang into action, sending massive waves of dark energy crashing against the invisible shield.

Diamond rubbed his hands together gleefully. Wiseman had been right; the protection around the palace had weakened. It shouldn't take long for his droids to break through.

**A/N **So that's it for now. I didn't realize how close we were getting to the end of this story until I got to the last part of this chapter. Don't worry though, there's still more to come. I'll try to update sooner this time, but I'm busy, busy, busy. Only 2 ½ more weeks and I'll be done with school for good. And what will I do with my newly acquired degree in Literature? Why write some more of course! I'll catch everybody next time. Please don't forget to drop me a review and tell me what you think. Later gators!

~Sere~


	19. Shining Jewels

**A/N **Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a little bit, but I've been busy, busy, busy. But now my finals are all done and I have some free time. So here's the next chapter to the story. Lots of stuff happening here, and I made it nice and long for you. Okay time for me to give out my hugs. You guys know who you are, but I still have to share the love. My BIG HUGS this time go out to:

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**rainbabie**

**Dbzsailormoonavatar**

**tiny2008**

**GoldenDragon326**

**anime-lover10**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**chimichurri**

**Jacks**

**ElisabethBoleyn**

**bakagirl123**

**sunbeam07**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

**ange de l'aube**

**samxe**

**RainSummoner**

**S dot Serenity**

**Uhamilton**

**Luthien Morgon**

**Danni**

**jade2nightwing **(I don't know if you have gotten this far yet, but I just wanted to say thank you!)

So there you have it! And to my Trinity readers, I hope to update either later today or tomorrow. I want to post it before this weekend because I'll be super busy and I don't want to wait until next week if I can keep from it. So keep your fingers crossed! Okay, I'm shutting up now!

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 19

Shining Jewels

Serena staggered as a tremor shook the palace. She would have fallen to the floor if Darien hadn't been standing next to her and caught her. They had all been walking around on pins and needles for the last few hours, knowing that an attack would be coming, but this still took them by surprise.

"What the hell was that?" Kyle demanded as he shot up from his seat.

"Diamond's calling card," Endymion said wryly.

"I can't believe my brother would launch an all out attack like this. It's suicide!" Sapphire exclaimed from the corner of the room where he and Emerald were sitting.

"What is he thinking?" the green haired woman muttered. "This is all Wiseman's fault. Diamond would never even think of doing anything like this on his own."

Endymion ran from the room to the control room that ran the security for the palace. With the press of a few buttons, he was able to pull up an image from outside.

The others had followed him, and they gasped at the sight of the droids that were battering away against the barrier that protected the palace. There had to be around fifty of them, and they looked like they meant business.

"Mommy, I'm scared," Rini whimpered as she tugged on Serena's hand.

Serena scooped the girl up into her arms and held her close as she whispered. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay, you'll see."

An alarm went off, catching everyone's attention. Endymion's eyes widened as he studied one of the screens before him. If he hadn't been a hologram, Serena was sure that all the blood would have drained from his face.

"Shit, this is not good!" he exclaimed before rushing over to a panel on the wall. It slid open to reveal a keypad where he quickly punched in a series of numbers.

A hidden door in the wall opened up, leading into a large chamber with a tall crystal in the center. Everyone was struck silent in shock at the sight before them.

Four women in fukus stood around the crystal in a circle with their hands clasped together. They were easily recognized as being the future versions of Mina, Raye, Lita, and Amy.

"It's Diamond, he's here," Endymion called out to them.

"Yeah, we kind of figured that out on our own," the taller, more mature version of Sailor Venus ground out between her teeth sarcastically without opening her eyes. "I sure hope things have worked out according to plan, because we've only got a few minutes worth left in us."

"Maybe we should join our energy in too," Amy suggested once she got over the shock of seeing her future self. "If we do, we might be able to hold Diamond off."

"No!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed. "You can't do that. Even with your energy combined with ours, it won't hold off an attack of this magnitude for long. All you would do is drain yourselves, and you're going to be needed in this fight."

"So what do we do, just stand here?" Lita growled.

"No," Sailor Jupiter growled back. "You get your asses in gear and get ready for a fight. Because the moment we fall it's all going to be up to you."

"Great, no pressure there," Raye grumbled.

"Come on, Raye," Sailor Mars replied with a strained smile on her face. "You know you always thrive under pressure. It'll make for one hell of an explosion."

"Well guys, I guess we should get ready to do this," Mina said as she pulled out her henshin rod and called out her transformation.

The others followed her lead, and in seconds bright light filled the room as the scouts were surrounded by their planetary colors and the generals glowed with both the golden power of Earth and the color of the planet they were connected to.

Serena waited before she transformed. She knelt down on the floor and took Rini by the shoulders, making sure she had the little girl's undivided attention. "Rini, I want you to promise me that you will stay inside the palace, okay. If the enemy breaks through the shield, I want you to go and find a safe place to hide and stay there until one of us comes and gets you. Can you do that?"

Rini looked positively terrified, but her eyes shown with a determined light that Serena recognized as being a look that she had seen in her own eyes when she was faced with a difficult situation. This made her more determined than ever to defeat this enemy and set the future right again. She honestly didn't care two snits if she ever became queen or not, but she had a wonderful little daughter that was depending on her.

She pulled the girl close and hugged her tightly. "Stay safe sweetheart. I'll see you soon."

The tiny arms tightened around her neck. "I love you, mommy."

Serena closed her eyes for a moment and savored the warm feelings that those words invoked in her. "I love you too, Squirt."

Rini laid a smacking kiss on her cheek before stepping back with a grin. "Now go get them Sailor Moon!"

"You got it!" Serena told her as she stood up. Her eyes met Endymion's for a moment, and he nodded his head slightly, silently encouraging her further and letting her know that he understood what she was feeling as well. A warm hand gripped hers, and she turned her head to look at Darien.

"Are you ready to do this?" he asked her gently.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied, reaching in the pocket of her jeans and pulling out her broach. "Moon Crystal Power!"

The familiar, comforting power of the Silver Crystal rushed over her as ribbons and feathers surrounded her. Next to her, she sensed the power of Earth as Darien transformed as well. When the energy dissipated, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask were ready for action.

"Let's go take care of business," Sailor Moon said, and they all trooped out of the room on their way to confront Diamond for what they hoped was the last time.

"Good luck, everyone," Endymion said softly. "I know you can do this."

* * *

Diamond grinned in satisfaction as he watched his droids continue to batter the barrier that surrounded the Crystal Palace. With every hit of negative energy, it became weaker and weaker.

Five of the strongest droids banded together and combined their energy, sending a massive blast slamming into the now fragile wall of protection. It punctured through it, and the last obstacle standing between them and the once impenetrable fortress shattered.

"At last!" Diamond hissed as he and his army floated down into the large courtyard at the front entrance of the palace. "After all of this time I've finally conquered the power of those stupid sailor guardians. Victory shall soon be mine."

He turned to the nearest droid. "The palace is ours. Go claim it in the name of Nemesis. If any of those annoying pests from the past get in your way, kill them. But remember, Serenity is to be left unharmed. I will deal with her myself."

"Yes, your highness," the droid answered with a bow. It signaled to a few other nearby droids and they began making their way to the palace. They had just reached the steps leading up to the entrance when the unexpected happened.

"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

The air was suddenly thick with flames and flying golden hearts. The droids were flung back by the surprise attack and hit the ground hard. When the smoke cleared, four figures were seen standing just outside the doors to the palace.

"Well, well, well," Diamond drawled. "I see the sailor scouts of the past decided to come out and play after all. I was beginning to wonder if you would have the guts. But it's no matter, there's no way you can defeat my army and me. You are nothing to me. I will squash you like bugs."

Sailor Jupiter cracked her knuckles. "Ya wanna try, pretty boy! Why don't you come on over here and test that theory. I'll gladly rearrange your face for you."

"Ooo, I'm just quaking in fear," Diamond sneered sarcastically. "You pathetic little girls don't scare me. I never have figured out why Serenity needed you four to protect her when she has more power than all four of you combined and could easily take care of herself."

He looked around expectantly. "Where is my dear princess anyway? I thought she might come out to greet me as well. Or is she lying somewhere, pining away for that selfish clod of an earth prince. I really did her a favor by killing him."

The four scouts smirked at him as a voice spoke up from behind them. "You really are clueless when it comes to matters of love, aren't you?"

The scouts stepped aside to reveal Sailor Moon in all of her golden haired glory. She pulled her petite frame up as tall and straight as she could as she glared at the fair-haired prince.

"Ah, Serenity," Diamond drawled. "How lovely to see you again. I've missed you."

"Well I haven't missed you!" she snapped back. "In fact, I'm so thoroughly disgusted that the sight of you sickens me."

He clucked his tongue at her. "Don't be that way, dearest. I know you feel a little animosity toward me for killing Endymion, but I really did it for your own good. I have freed you from a bleak and miserable future."

Suddenly a small smile touched her lips. "Oh, I don't think so, Diamond. You see, my true prince is always with me."

Diamond slowly became aware of a presence at his back. Before he could turn to confront the person, he felt the unmistakable feeling of a sword's point touching his back.

"Surprise," a deadly calm voice said menacingly. "It takes more than one lowly coward to keep me down."

"Impossible," Diamond hissed. "There's no way you can still be here. Nobody can survive an injury from the Dark Crystal."

"I hate to burst your bubble, asshole, but I'm still here," Tuxedo Mask answered with a touch of amusement. "Now turn around."

Diamond gulped and slowly turned. He blanched at the sight of the face of his adversary that he thought to be dead and the four equally lethal looking men at his side. They all had their swords drawn and pointing at him.

"How?" he muttered. "How could this have happened? You should be dead. Why are you not dead?"

A smirk appeared on the masked man's face. "You should never underestimate your opponent. I have more power than you realize. I also had a little help."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement toward Sailor Moon, who beamed a wide smile at him in return.

Diamond growled. "Do you think this changes anything? I clearly have you outnumbered. I don't think even with all of your powers combined that you could take down my army. One word from me, and my droids will slaughter you all where you stand."

The droids stood poised and ready to attack, just waiting for the command from their prince. All of a sudden, a strange hissing sound filled the air and smoke began rising from the droids. They all let out hideous sounding screams as they exploded into dust one by one.

"What the hell!" Diamond exclaimed as his entire army crumbled away into nothing.

"I'm sorry brother. I had to do it," Sapphire said in a sad voice as he and Emerald both walked through the large doors of the palace. As they passed Sailor Mercury, Sapphire slipped a small, blue, handheld computer to her. "Thanks for the loan."

Diamond's face turned red in rage. "How dare you, both of you, betray me like this? Stabbed in the back by my own brother and my most trusted general. Wiseman was right, you can't be trusted."

"Diamond, please!" Emerald begged him with tears sparkling in her eyes. "Can't you see how wrong this is, how Wiseman has been manipulating all of us? We aren't doing this to betray you. We are trying to free you from him before it's too late."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he scoffed. "Wiseman has done nothing but help us from the beginning. He's trying to help us gain a better life. Do you really want to go back to living our bleak little existence on Nemesis?"

"At least we were happy there!" Emerald screamed back at him. "We may not have had the best living conditions on Nemesis, but you were kind and loving back then. Then Wiseman came along and you changed. I don't even know who you are anymore."

"She's right," Sapphire agreed. "You used to be my idol, my wonderfully generous big brother that always thought of what was best for his people. That was why you wanted to join in an alliance with Earth, to give our people a better life. Everything was going fine until Wiseman showed up. After that you concocted this crazy scheme to take over the Earth instead of allying us with it. You changed overnight from a benevolent leader into tyrant."

"You're wrong!" Diamond insisted. "Everything that I have done has been for the good of our people. Wiseman opened my eyes and made me see what a mistake it would be to have an alliance with Earth. This place is not the utopia that everyone claims that it is. It is merely a world populated by people who are forced to serve rulers against their will. You call me a tyrant? The real tyrant is that damn earth king that sits back and reaps the benefits of his wife's hard work and makes sure the people stay under the control of the Silver Crystal. That is not what I want for us."

"That's not the way it is, Diamond," Sailor Moon said, stepping forward to confront the man that had caused so much upheaval in her life recently. "The Silver Crystal doesn't have the ability to control people's minds. Its cleansing powers only enhance the pure thoughts of a person that truly wants to be freed of negative energy. I'm not nearly as powerful as you think I am. I can't control people."

"I would suggest that you listen to my princess," Sailor Pluto's voice suddenly said as she appeared in a burst of smoke and bright light. However, she wasn't alone.

"Sapphire!" Prizma cried as she ran and launched herself into the startled man's arms.

"Prizma," he whispered as he held her close. "What in the world are you doing here? You're supposed to be safely hidden in the past."

Rubeus chuckled as he walked up and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "Blame Sailor Pluto. She showed up and asked if we wanted to come and help convince a certain stubborn someone," he cocked his head in Diamond's direction, "that he's screwing up. Besides, the girls aren't completely sold on the past."

Katzy sniffed disdainfully. "They're so far behind the times in fashion that it should be criminal."

Bertie sighed regretfully. "It's sad, but true. I can't believe some people actually have the nerve to leave their homes wearing some of the things I've seen."

"I haven't been able to find a decent tube of lipstick since we got there." Avery grouched. "Women in the past obviously don't know the wonders of what decent cosmetics can do for them."

Diamond's face had paled until it was almost the same color as his hair. His eyes bugged out in disbelief. "I don't believe this. Where did you five come from? I thought Sailor Moon killed you all."

"Hate to disappoint you, but we're still alive and kicking," Rubeus said with a grin. "Sailor Moon cleansed us of the negative energy that Wiseman had filled us with and gave us a second chance in the past. But our place is here with our family."

'_Don't listen to their lies,'_ Wiseman's voice whispered through Diamond's head. _'They have been brainwashed just like the rest of the people of Earth. Serenity and that infernal Silver Crystal has taken them away from you.'_

'_But she said she couldn't control people,' _Diamond thought.

'_Don't be a fool!' _Wiseman insisted. _'Of course she would tell you that. She's just as lying and as treacherous as the rest of them. Perhaps you need to be reminded of what your mission is.'_

Diamond froze for a moment as he felt the energy from the Dark Crystal pulse through his veins. It made him feel empowered and renewed his resolve to see his plans through until the end.

Taking everyone off guard, he made a mad dash, ducking under Jadeite and Zoicite's swords and breaking away from them. His destination was firmly in sight, and he wasted no time when he got there. He grabbed the person that was standing there and hauled them up in front of him.

Sailor Moon spun around when she heard the yells and the sounds of a scuffle. Before she could blink, an arm had wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides. She began to struggle, but then fell totally still when she felt cold, hard steel against her neck.

"Serena!" several voices cried in shock at the sight of Sailor Moon held tightly in Diamond's grasp. They all began to rush toward them, only to freeze in place seconds later as a maniacal looking Diamond pulled out a dagger and laid it against the pale skin of her throat.

"If any of you makes another move, I'll slit her throat," he threatened. "This dagger may not be made out of the Dark Crystal, but it will do the job just as effectively."

"Let her go, Diamond," Tuxedo Mask ground out in a harsh voice. His blue eyes shown behind his mask with fierce determination, but fear also flickered in their depths.

"Hmm…" Diamond mused. "No. I don't think I will. I have decided that if I can't have Serenity, then neither should you. I have tried everything from wooing her to forcing her to make her see that she would be better off with me, but she could never move past you. I tried eliminating you completely, but obviously that didn't work either. So I think it's only fair to make sure that neither one of us can lay claim to her."

"Diamond, stop this madness. Please brother," Sapphire pleaded. "You can't kill her. She is the future queen of this world. If you do this time will be irrevocably changed. It will change everything as we know it."

Diamond's eyes gleamed crazily. "Exactly! I don't know why I never thought of this before. Without Serenity, the Earth will never be awakened from the freeze. The whole planet will be ours for the taking. With the power of the Dark Crystal, we will make this planet as it should be."

Everyone stood and watched in stunned silence. Nobody made a move for fear of him actually following through on his threat and killing Serena.

Then Tuxedo Mask sighed and threw down Prince Endymion's sword. Gasps were heard as he let his transformation go and returned to being Darien.

"I'm the one you really want to kill, Diamond," he said, taking a careful step forward. "So here I am, unarmed and defenseless. Kill me if it will make you feel better. But I'm begging you to spare Serena's life in exchange for mine."

"No way!" Kunzite exclaimed, moving to block Darien's way. The other three generals were right beside him. "You can't expect me to just stand here and watch you offer yourself up to this guy. We are sworn to protect you."

Darien's eyes met his, "And I'm sworn to protect her. Come on, Kyle. You know that if it were Mina that he was holding a dagger against, you would do the same thing. All of you would if he was holding the life of the woman that you love in his hands."

They all looked away, knowing that he was right. They would all throw down their lives for their soul mates in an instant if they had to. Who were they to stop him from doing the same thing? So even though it went against every fiber of their being and everything that they had sworn in their past lives, they stepped aside.

"Darien, you don't have to do this," Venus said softly as he walked past the scouts.

Mars looked at him with solemn violet eyes. "You know this will kill her if you go through with this."

Jupiter had her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "I can't stand this."

"There must be some other way," Mercury pleaded.

Darien paused and then looked back at Serena's most trusted friends. "I know you girls will be there for her. Protect her like you always have and keep her safe, okay?"

All four of them nodded and watched as their princess's soul mate slowly closed the distance between him and the man that was still holding Serena's life so precariously in his grip.

Diamond eyed him warily; unsure as to whether or not the reincarnated earth prince was serious about willingly sacrificing his life for that of Serenity's. His grip on Sailor Moon tightened.

"That's close enough, Endymion," he warned. "How do I know that this isn't a trick?"

Darien met his gaze steadily. "I would never gamble with Serena's life that way. She's far too precious to me to take that chance."

The idea was beginning to grow on Diamond. He could kill the future king, ensuring that the future would change. Neo Queen Serenity may still rise to the throne, but she would be lost and vulnerable without her mate. When time reset itself, he would give her one more opportunity to accept him as her king. If she didn't, then he would kill her and take over the Earth.

While Diamond was thinking this over, Sailor Moon locked eyes with Darien, silently pleading with him to leave her and back away.

A sad smile touched his lips as he returned her gaze and mouthed the words "I love you" to her.

Her expressive blue eyes widened in fear as shiny tears began to gather in the corners and threaten to spill over. She wanted to scream and yell at him, to tell him what a dumb ass he was being, but with the sharp edge of the blade pressed up against her skin her hands were tied.

Diamond began chuckling. "Very well, Endymion. I agree to your terms. I will release Serenity in exchange for your life. That seems like a fairly even trade."

'_No, no, no! Somebody stop this!' _Serena's mind was screaming as she watched her love take another step toward certain death. And then, another voice echoed her thoughts.

"Everybody stop right where you are," a hard, determined voice commanded.

All eyes whipped around and jaws dropped open at the sight of the person who had spoken up against this outrageousness.

Emerald stood straight and proud, looking every bit the general she was. Her clear brown eyes bore into Diamond's lavender ones in an unwavering gaze. And in her steady hands she gripped Prince Endymion's discarded sword.

Diamond's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight. "So Emerald, would you kill me? Would you complete your act of betrayal by taking my life? I never thought that you would turn against me so completely."

She shook her head slightly. "This isn't betrayal. This is me standing up for what I believe to be right. Someone that I love very much once told me that it was important to take a stand against evil, even at the cost of your own life. Do you remember that, Diamond?"

His brow furrowed as he thought back on the now hazy memories that he had before Wiseman's arrival.

**Flashback**

Diamond was in the throne room in his palace on Nemesis. A young Emerald knelt before him as she took the vows that would make her a general in the army of Nemesis.

"And do you, Emerald, swear to do everything in your power to protect the people of Nemesis from evil forces and uphold the laws to ensure the safety and longevity of our people?" Diamond asked her.

Her eyes met his steadily. "I do so swear, my prince. I pledge my life to protecting the people of this planet from anyone who wishes to do them harm."

Diamond nodded his head with a smile. "Then rise, General Emerald. You are now one of the elite commanders of the army of Nemesis. May good fortune shine down on you as you conduct your duties to the best of your abilities."

She stood and faced the assembled crowd as they all cheered at the appointment of the newest general. Her face was positively glowing with happiness. This had been one of her goals in life. It had been a long and difficult journey, but her hard work and perseverance had finally paid off.

Slowly the guests began to trickle out of the room, and when the doors closed behind the last one, the young prince grabbed his newest general up in his arms and spun her around.

"I'm so proud of you, Emmie," he told her, his eyes shining with the amount of pride he felt for her.

Emerald squealed as she flung her arms around his neck. "I can't believe I finally made it. I thought this day would never come."

Diamond set her back on her feet and tucked a stray piece of her long green hair behind her ear. "I always had faith in you. I knew you could do it. But this is a heavy burden to carry. The people of this planet depend on us to keep them safe, and that's what we do. We do whatever it takes to defend this world from anyone that wishes it harm, even if it means our lives. I just don't want to see anything happen to you."

She leaned her forehead against his. "I know the seriousness of the vows I took, and if I have to I am willing to lay my life down for this world and for you. You are the light of my life, my darling prince. I would rather see myself dead than face a world without you by my side."

He chuckled lightly. "Then we will always be together, my sweet, because I will never leave you. Don't get too used to being a general, because I have every intention of making you my queen someday."

And then he kissed her deeply.

**End Flashback**

Diamond shook himself from his reveries as looked at the woman who had once meant everything to him. She stood defiantly in front of him with her eyes burning with the same passion and commitment that had been in them the day that she had recited those vows.

"You do remember, don't you?" she said softly. "I made two vows that day, one to protect our world, and the other to never live without you. Some people may call me selfish, but that second vow is the most important to me. I have been slowly dying for months as I've watched you pull farther and farther away from me. I kept hoping that you would wake up and return to me, but I see now that I am just deluding myself."

Everyone there gasped as she turned the sword so that it was pointed at her own chest, the hilt gripped firmly in her hands.

A strangled noise left Diamond's throat, and his arms tightened convulsively around Sailor Moon. She could feel the tightly wound tension throughout his body and wondered if Emerald was finally getting through to him.

Emerald tossed her head back defiantly as she glared at her prince. "I will not demean myself by begging you to come back to us, your family. But I will tell you this, the moment you murder either the king or the queen in cold blood as you have planned, that will effectively kill you in my eyes. Then I will follow up on the promise I made to not live without you. So go ahead, Diamond, make your move and I will make mine."

Sailor Moon felt the trembling that began shivering through his body and also felt his grip on her begin to loosen a little.

"Emmie," he whispered in a hopeless sounding voice. "Don't do this."

A lone tear slipped from Emerald's eye to slide down her cheek. "Then don't make me. I know the real you is still in there somewhere, the one that existed before Wiseman."

His arms let go of Sailor Moon and the dagger fell from his fingers to land on the ground, but she didn't move away from him. Instead her hand came up to grip the broach at her chest.

'_I hope this works,' _she thought, _'Please Silver Crystal, grant me this wish. Please cleanse Diamond of the negative energy that Wiseman has filled him with and return him to the person he was before that evil man took control of him. Heal Emerald and Sapphire too so that they can return to being the loving family they once were.'_

The power of the Silver Crystal sparked to life and a bright white light flew from the crystal to encompass Diamond, Emerald, and Sapphire in its warm, soothing energy.

When it faded, all three of the people from Nemesis slumped to the ground as they stared at each other with newly opened eyes.

Sailor Moon closed her eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over her and she wavered on her feet. She began to fall, but then felt those familiar arms close around her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Darien growled at her. "Have you completely lost your mind? You know how dangerous it is for you to use that much power at once. And to heal three people at one time…that's insane!"

She felt so warm and comfortable in his arms, but she forced her heavy eyes open to confront his furious ones. "Don't scold me, Darien. I had to do it. They were all hurting so much. I just couldn't let them go on like that. Did it work?"

"I'll say it did," a lighthearted voice answered her, and she turned her head to look at Diamond who was still sitting on the ground a short distance away.

He looked at her in wonder. "You really are an amazing woman, Serenity. You have given me my life back. I never could see how Wiseman was manipulating me, but now it's all so clear."

He was suddenly bowled over as both Emerald and Sapphire tackled him, all three of them laughing. They were joined a few seconds later by Rubeus and the sisters as they were pulled to their feet and reunited as the family they had once been.

"You see, that's why I did it," Sailor Moon whispered to Darien. "None of them were truly evil, just misguided. I had to help them."

He kissed the top of her head. "I know. You wouldn't be you if you didn't. But it scares the hell out of me."

"Shh, I know," she soothed him. "Now help me up."

He looked like he was going to argue with her for a moment, but then just shook his head and stood with her in his arms before setting her lightly on her feet. She seemed pretty steady, but he kept a supportive arm around her just in case. Sometimes his little Meatball Head was too stubborn to realize her limits.

The moment she was upright, Sailor Moon found herself bombarded by her scouts and the generals, the whole lot of them sounding like gaggle of fussy mother hens as they scolded her for using so much power from the Silver Crystal at one time.

"All right, knock it off!" she finally told them. "I did it, it's over, end of story."

The clan from Nemesis had quieted down now and Diamond walked over to stand in front of Sailor Moon before falling to his knees with his head bowed.

"I'm so ashamed of myself," he said in a soft, cracking voice. "I don't deserve to be here after all of the horrible things that I have done to you. I wouldn't have blamed you if you had killed me for my crimes. I am not worthy of your mercy."

Sailor Moon slipped out from Darien's arm and knelt in front of him. His head jerked up when he felt her gentle hand on his shoulder to meet her compassionate eyes.

"Everyone deserves forgiveness, Diamond," she said quietly. "Especially if that person has not been acting on his own free will. I knew that there was good still left in you. I saw glimpses of it back when I first met you. I won't say that this has been fun, but I do forgive you."

He looked at her in amazement at her ability to forgive him so easily, and then he chuckled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've learned by now to always expect the unexpected when it comes to you."

Then face sobered. "This isn't over. Wiseman will be furious when he realizes that the plan has fallen through. I'm not sure how he will react, but I'm sure he will retaliate in some way."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Sailor Moon said as she climbed back to her feet. "We'll just have to try and be ready to face him."

"He seemed to be obsessed with Small Lady," Emerald informed them. "That was why he had me try to kidnap her. He seemed to want her for something."

"But why Rini?" Darien asked. "She's just a little kid."

Diamond sighed. "Because she's carrying around Neo Queen Serenity's missing Silver Crystal. I've felt its power inside of her."

"What!" was the collective exclamation.

He nodded. "Wiseman wants to combine the power of the Silver Crystal with that of the Dark Crystal. If those two energies were merged, it would become the most powerful force in the universe. I don't know what events led to Small Lady gaining possession of the crystal, but she has it."

"Oh my gosh, we have to go find her," Sailor Moon exclaimed, turning and running back toward the palace with Darien and the others right behind her. She had been feeling drained and tired moments before, but the adrenaline pumping through her gave her the energy that she needed.

"Rini!" she screamed as she burst through the heavy double doors. "Rini, where are you? Honey, answer me please."

"Rini!" Darien joined in. "It's okay to come out. It's just us."

Nothing. There was no pitter patter of little feet running to greet them, no sweet voice calling out to them, no infectious little giggle, nothing at all.

"Rini!" Sailor Moon screamed again as she began tearing through the labyrinth of rooms on the ground level of the palace. "Rini, this isn't funny! You better not be playing hide and seek at a time like this."

But there was no sign of her. Thinking that Rini might have sought out the comfort of her mother's presence, the group quickly made their way to the room where Neo Queen Serenity lay.

The room was empty except for the crystal tomb in which the queen still lay dormant, her eyes closed and her hands clasped gently over her stomach. Sailor Moon glared down at her future self with tears burning in her eyes.

"Where is she, Serenity?" she growled. "I know you know, so tell me."

When she heard no answering reply in her head, she pulled back her fist and sent it slamming hard into the crystal. "You selfish bitch! You spend weeks jabbering away inside my head about stupid shit, but when it comes to something important like the life of your own daughter you decide to pull a disappearing act."

She still received no enlightenment from her future self and was about to lay into the crystal again when Darien grabbed her and pulled her forcibly into his arms.

"Calm down, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "Don't worry, we'll find her."

"Where could she be, Darien?" she sobbed against his chest. "I told her not to leave the palace."

He rubbed her back soothingly. "She's a smart kid. I bet she's still around here somewhere."

"That's right," Venus agreed, laying a comforting hand on her princess's shoulder. "This is a big place and there are more floors to search. Maybe she's just hiding somewhere she can't hear us."

Sailor Moon pulled back in Darien's arms and began wiping her eyes. "You're probably right, Mina. But I just can't shake this feeling that something is wrong. I hope to Selene that I'm wrong and that we find her okay."

"We will," Mars reassured her. "Now let's get to looking for her."

Everyone else agreed and they all headed for the grand staircase that would lead them to the upper floors where they could expand their search.

Sailor Moon had just put her foot on the first step when the sound of a crash followed by the banging of a slamming door came from somewhere upstairs.

"Mommy! Daddy! Help!" Rini's terrified scream reached them.

Then they heard a sound that caused the blood in their veins to turn to ice. It was the darkest, most evil sounding laugh that any of them had ever heard.

"Wiseman!" Diamond hissed from between clenched teeth.

* * *

Wiseman felt a surge of anger as he felt his control over the dark moon prince vanish as if it never existed. He had also felt a powerful amount of power that came from the Silver Crystal at the same time, so he knew that meddling little moon princess was the one to blame.

He had planned on holding onto Diamond for a while longer. He had proven himself useful despite his constant bumbling mistakes. But no matter, he had at least remained under his influence long enough to break down the defenses of the palace. Now his path to the little princess was cleared.

He needed the Silver Crystal in order to open the Dark Gate and destroy the Earth. Finally he would take his revenge on the planet that had shunned him and sent him into exile.

It had happened when the world had first been awakened after the Big Freeze. Neo Queen Serenity had used the power of the Silver Crystal to restore the Earth and its people. The population of the world had been grateful and had readily accepted her as their ruler. With her husband, King Endymion, at her side, they began bringing order to the newly reborn planet.

There were some that were not as willing to blindly accept the monarchy, and a rebellion began. Wiseman had been one of the leaders of this rebellion. He had been born and raised on Earth. He, like the billions of other earthlings, had led a sadly pathetic, human little life, until he found the crystal.

While in college, he had gone on a solitary hiking trip in the mountains and had been caught in a massive landslide. When it was over, his body was beaten and broken as he hovered near death.

As he lay there dying, he became aware of a sound that filled the air like a siren's call. Thinking it was the angels beckoning him to heaven, he began pulling his battered body across the rocky, muddy ground toward the call.

Instead of finding the gates to heaven, he found himself at a dark cave. He crawled inside, thinking that this was his end, only to make a wondrous discovery. The beautiful sound that he was hearing was coming from a tiny black crystal that didn't even take up a quarter of his palm.

When he picked the crystal up, a surge of energy went through him like he had never felt before. When it faded, he found his body had been completely healed.

'_I have been waiting for you,'_ a soft voice had spoken.

Taken by surprise, he looked around quickly. "Who's there?"

'_I am the Dark Crystal,'_ the voice replied, and he was astonished to realize the voice was coming from the stone in his hand. _'I have spent thousands of years here, waiting for the one person who could set me free to find me.'_

"The Dark Crystal," he muttered. "I don't understand."

_'Once upon a time, long ago,the universe was ruled by the gods and godesses. They each governed their own planets, but the moon was the most powerful. Selene, the goddess of the moon, held in her possession a powerful crystal, a crystal that had the ability to create or destroy worlds in the blink of an eye. It was called the Imperial Crystal._

_Because she alone commanded this power, Selene was named the high queen of the universe. All of the other planets lived in fear of incurring her wrath and that she would destroy them. So in a show of good faith, she split the Imperial Crystal in two, creating the Silver Crystal and the Dark Crystal. _

_She kept the Silver Crystal, with all of its creative and healing powers, for herself. I, on the other hand, was sent here and forgotten about, all because everyone considered my powers to be evil.'_

He had listened carefully to the crystal's tale and was confused. "Why would they consider your powers to be evil? I was close to dying only minutes ago, and you healed me. You saved my life. How is that evil?"

_'Some people just don't understand power, and they are frightened by anything that is stronger than they are. But I never lost hope that someday someone would find me and I would be free once again. You are that person.'_

He was dumbfounded. "Me? I'm just a struggling college student. Surely you've made a mistake."

_'There's no mistake. I can see inside of you. You have drive and ambition. You are meant for great things. You've just been lacking the power to accomplish these goals. I can help you there.'_

There had been another flash of energy, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his bed back home. He thought it had all been a dream, until he felt something hard clenched in his hand and opened it to find the crystal there.

'_I will always be with you,' _it said softly.

His life had turned around then. He breezed through school with flying colors and before he knew it, had become the youngest CEO ever of a multi-billion dollar international company. He was known as a hard, cut throat businessman, and people quaked in fear at the sight of him.

The crystal seemed to thrive on his success, and over time it began to grow. It was no longer just a tiny crystal. It was now the size of his fist, but he still carried it with him everywhere so he could listen to its words of encouragement.

Then disaster struck. The world began to grow colder and panic ensued. The economy fell, and his company fell right along with it. Mad and bitter, he sat back and watched as the world plunged into chaos. The television showed the madness that was happening all over the world as law enforcement and military scrambled to keep order.

Japan in particular had been amusing to watch as its self-proclaimed protectors had tried in vain to help stop the panic. And every time the leader of that group, Sailor Moon, was shown, the Dark Crystal would whisper, _'Sister'_.

The freeze came, and the world settled into an icy sleep for a thousand years. Then Neo Queen Serenity, formerly known as Sailor Moon, had come to power. Then the new queen did the unimaginable, she decided to use the Silver Crystal to erase all evil from the Earth.

The people were given the choice about whether to receive the cleansing power, and most of the people took it, turning into mindless, subservient creatures that thought of nothing but peace and happiness and serving the new royalty without a second thought.

Angered by this, he had sought out the small groups that believed as he did, that they had the right to be themselves. With the Dark Crystal's encouragement, he had formed the rebellion.

The battle was long and hard, but in the end the queen and the Silver Crystal had triumphed over him, and he was banished from the planet.

He had traveled the cold, lonely galaxy, with only his crystal as company, until he discovered a small, unknown planet at the edge of the galaxy.

Nemesis was a struggling world under the rule of its kind, benevolent prince, Diamond. After snooping around, he discovered that Nemesis was about to enter into negotiations with Earth in hopes of joining the Crystal Alliance. Seeing his opportunity for revenge, and with some help from the Dark Crystal, he brainwashed the prince and convinced him that the Earth was evil and shouldn't be under the control of its current monarchs.

Then the Dark Crystal had come up with the best idea ever, the perfect revenge. If he were to get the Silver Crystal from Neo Queen Serenity, then it could be reunited with its missing half to form the Imperial Crystal once more. Once combined, he would be able to call upon its full powers to open the Dark Gate and blast that pathetic planet into oblivion.

So he had placed a lust spell on Diamond to make him become maniacally infatuated with Serenity. If Diamond were able to lure her away from her protectors, then it would be simple to get his hands on her crystal.

But things had gone wrong. During their attack on Crystal Tokyo the queen was injured and the crystal vanished. When he sensed a time jump being made, he tracked it to the past where he found the crystal with Serenity's little daughter.

It was too perfect an opportunity. He ordered Diamond and his crew to capture the girl, but that damn lust spell sent the prince after Serenity's younger self instead. True, she had a Silver Crystal too, but he needed the one from the future to make his plan work. The Imperial crystal could only be formed by two crystals from the same time.

But at least Diamond had succeeded in clearing the way for him to complete his goal. Now to get the brat and take the Silver Crystal from her. Then he would be in control of the most powerful source of energy in the universe.

He looked up at the Dark Crystal, which had fed off of the negative feelings of the people of Nemesis and had grown until it now required an entire chamber to itself.

"Soon you will be complete once more," he whispered to it. "And then together we will rule the universe.

He felt the fissure of energy in the air. _'Yes. Soon I will be whole once again. Now go, my faithful companion, and claim my other half. Restore me to my former glory, and I will put my power into your hands.'_

"It will be done," he swore as he flashed himself from the crystal's chamber to where he felt the energy of the Silver Crystal.

He materialized in what seemed to be a large closet. Tiny dresses and other articles of clothing hung on racks close to the walls, but his attention was focused on the back corner where an elaborate dollhouse stood surrounded by many other scattered toys.

He floated forward and looked behind the dollhouse. Sure enough, he was greeted with the sight of a terrified looking princess as she sat with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in them as she shook in fear.

"Well, well, Small Lady, it seems we finally meet each other at long last," he said in a cheerful sounding tone.

The little, pink haired head snapped up and her maroon eyes widened as she took in his robed, floating form. "Who are you?"

"Don't be afraid, little one," Wiseman said in a deceptively soft voice. "I know you've been scared recently. Your life has been turned upside down, but I'm here to make it better. I just need for you to give me the Silver Crystal."

To his surprise, the frightened little girl suddenly looked angry. "Why does everyone keep asking me for the crystal? I don't have it. It disappeared and I don't know where it is."

Wiseman could sense that she believed that she was telling the truth, so using the powers granted to him by his own crystal, he took a peek inside her mind.

**Rini's Memory**

The young princess stood crying as she looked at the shattered remains of the vase that was lying at her feet. She hadn't meant to knock it over, it just sort of happened. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be running indoors, but it was raining today, so she couldn't go outside.

She heard the sound of fast paced footsteps approaching and looked around quickly for a place to hide, but there was nowhere to go. She was trapped.

A stocky, middle-aged maid with brown hair and eyes rounded the corner and took in the scene before her. Her look of exasperation turned to one of anger as she pinned Rini with a glare.

"Well this is a fine mess you've made this time!" the woman snapped. "How many times have you been warned to save the horseplay for outside? Your parents will be furious when they find out about this. That vase was a gift to them from the American president and his wife. I have never seen such an unruly princess. You have a long way to go if you ever expect to fill your mother's shoes. Now she's a real lady."

Rini glared furiously at the woman. "My mommy says that I will grow up to be a perfect lady, so nahhh…" she stuck her tongue out at the dumbfounded maid before whirling and stomping away from her.

"I'll show that mean old biddy," she muttered to herself. "I'll show everyone that I can be just as much of a lady as mommy."

She paused for a moment as she reached the doors that led to her parent's rooms. She knew that they were both at a meeting right now, so she would be alone there. She also knew that what she was thinking about doing was wrong, but she was sick and tired of getting yelled at all of the time.

Fueled by anger, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She made her way quickly across the sitting room and entered her parent's bedroom.

The room smelled of roses, just like it always did, and there were a couple of her mother's gowns thrown across the foot of the bed where the queen must have tried them on and changed her mind. One of her father's jackets hung on the back of a chair and his reading glasses were resting next to a book on the table next to his side of the bed.

But none of this interested Rini. Her focus was on a slender pedestal in the corner of the room that had a protective dome of energy around it. Under this shield sat the source of her mother's powers, the Silver Crystal.

"Maybe if I just hold it for a minute, its power will make me more like mommy," Rini whispered to herself.

Her mother had always warned her that the crystal wasn't a toy and that she shouldn't touch it, but she was desperate. Using Luna P, she deactivated the barrier.

She reached out with unsteady, uncertain hands and cradled the softly glowing crystal between her palms. She let out a small gasp at how warm and comforting the crystal's energy was.

But her gasp of delight quickly turned to one of horror as the crystal flared brightly for a moment before disappearing completely.

"No! Please, don't disappear!" she pleaded. But in seconds, the Silver Crystal was gone.

"Oh no! What have I done?" she whimpered. "I lost mommy's crystal. She's going to be so mad at me."

Her head snapped up as she heard the soft click of the door to the other room open and the sound of her parent's voices speaking quietly to each other. In a panic, she grabbed Luna P and dove under their bed. She couldn't face them, not after this.

The voices got louder as the bedroom door opened and they walked in, discussing the meeting that they had just attended.

Then she heard her mother gasp. "Darien. The crystal's gone!"

Silence spread out for a long moment, and then her father replied, "It's begun. Come on, Serena, we have to go tell the others."

They quickly exited the room and Rini crept out of her hiding place. Tears ran down her cheeks at the thought of being confronted by her parents. What could she tell them? She didn't know what happened. The crystal just vanished. She didn't know why.

Feeling more afraid than she ever had in her young life, she ran. She managed to make it outside without anyone seeing her and fled through one of the gardens. The rain had stopped, but the ground was wet, and she slipped a few times as she continued her mad dash toward the gate. She had to get away from here.

Luck was with her, and there were no guards at the gate as she opened them and ran through. She was never supposed to leave the palace grounds without an escort, but who cared? She was already in trouble anyway.

She didn't go far, just down the block to where a thick stand of trees was. She sat underneath one and pulled her knees up to her chest as she began sobbing.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!" she wailed. "Mommy told me not to touch it, but I did it anyway. Now mommy and daddy won't love me anymore!"

She didn't know how long she sat there, but suddenly there were several loud explosions and the ground beneath her shook. She crawled out from under the trees and was stunned to find the city in chaos.

Several fires were burning and smoke hung heavy in the air. People were running and screaming in all directions, and there were these strange looking people that were shooting energy from their hands.

This terrified her more than the thought of facing her parent's anger. She turned and began running back to the palace, wanting nothing more than to be inside the safety and security of her home. She would probably be grounded for the rest of her life because of the things that she had done today, but she didn't care. She just wanted to go home.

She made it back to the palace without any difficulties and flew past the guards that were now at the gate. They were all too busy watching the attack to notice her. She ran back through the garden as fast as her short little legs could carry her.

She was almost to the door when she heard her mother's voice calling out, "Rini! Rini, where are you? Are you out here?"

She turned and saw her mother standing several yards away with a look of panic on her face.

"Mommy!" she screamed, and launched herself toward Serenity. She crashed into her and wrapped her little arms tightly around her mother.

Serenity hugged her back. "Oh, thank goodness! You scared me."

Rini looked up at her with tear filled eyes. "Mommy, I'm sorry. I…I…"

"Shh…" Serenity said softly. "No matter what, Rini, I want you to know that I love you and I always will. Nothing will ever change that."

Then there was a loud boom, and a wave of energy was heading straight for them. Serenity shoved her out of the way, and she hit the ground hard, rolling away from her mother and the attack.

Several screams split the air and there was a bright flash of multicolored light. Rini sat up and saw the sailor guardians, her mother's friends and protectors, channeling their energy around the queen in an attempt to protect her. When they were done, the queen lay as still as death inside a large chunk of crystal.

"Mommy!" she screamed and tried to run to her, but Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars grabbed her by the arms and began running with Mercury and Jupiter right behind them.

As they flew across the lawn, Rini saw a flash of gold, and turned her head to see her father and his generals fighting against a large group of the strange, human looking people she had seen before. Then there was a loud explosion, and all five men lay unmoving on the ground.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, trying to break free from Venus and Mars, but they held fast. They made it inside the palace and ran quickly through the long winding halls.

They finally reached a large, ornate door that was different from all of the others in the palace and threw it open. On the other side stood the solitary guardian of time, Sailor Pluto.

The tall woman didn't say anything as she took Rini from the others. They just all shared a knowing look with each other before the queen's protectors nodded their heads and left Rini with Pluto.

Sailor Pluto gave her a warm, comforting smile. "I know your scared and confused, Small Lady, but some things are just meant to happen. Now, let's see about sending you someplace safer for the time being."

**End Memory**

Wiseman chuckled darkly as he studied the girl in front of him. "So you messed with the Silver Crystal when you weren't supposed to and it vanished. That explains so much to me. The crystal must have sensed that trouble was coming, and it decided to hide inside of you."

"Inside of me?" Rini gasped. "You mean the crystal didn't disappear like I thought it did?"

The hooded head shook slowly. "No, it didn't vanish. It recognized you as being a daughter of the moon and was taken inside your body. It thought it could hide from me, but with the power of my Dark Crystal, I was able to find it. Now I just need you to give it to me."

Rini jumped up, her little fists clenched at her sides. "No! I'll never give my mommy's crystal to you! It belongs to her, you bad man!"

"You little brat!" Wiseman snarled. "I'll get that crystal one way or another!" Then he lunged at her.

Rini squealed and jumped away from his grasp and ran from the closet. She flew across her room and threw the door open just as a burst of energy raced by her, missing her by just a few inches.

She ran down the hall toward the stairs and heard familiar voices coming from below. She screamed as loud as she could, "Mommy! Daddy! Help!"

Suddenly she was frozen in place as dark, crackling energy swirled around her and an evil laugh came from behind her. She heard footsteps thundering up the stairs and voices calling her name. She wanted to run toward them, but it was if she were paralyzed.

A long, boney hand gripped her arm painfully, causing a whimper to escape her mouth. She saw Sailor Moon and the others reach the top of the stairs and felt relieved. They would save her from this madman.

Sailor Moon looked seriously pissed. "Let go of her, Wiseman!"

Wiseman answered her, sounding amused. "Not until I get what I want from her, Serenity. Now all of you, stay out of my way!"

He flicked his free hand at them, and they were all enclosed in a bubble of snapping dark energy. Groans and screams were ripped from their throats as they were shocked by the pulsating power.

"That's better," Wiseman said cheerfully as he turned his attention back to the girl he held. "Now where were we? Oh yes! If you won't willingly give me the crystal, princess, then I'll just have to take it from you. This may sting just a little."

Rini screamed as dark energy ripped through her body like fire. It felt as if she were being burned alive. She wished with all of her might that she could fight back, but she was just a little girl. If Sailor Moon and the others couldn't beat this guy, what chance would she have?

Then she felt something spark inside of her. It felt warm and comforting. It was the same feeling she had felt when she touched the Silver Crystal. Maybe she did have the crystal inside of her after all.

She remembered her mother once talking about how the crystal would listen to her most heartfelt wishes and grant them. So she began pleading with all of her might, 'Please, Silver Crystal, give me the help I need to protect my friends. Help us beat this evil.'

Wiseman stared in shock as a golden crescent moon suddenly appeared on the girl's forehead. A white glow began to surround her and he dropped her arm as it began to burn his hand. A sudden burst of white energy flew from her and sent him sailing away from her to crash into a wall.

The dark energy around the others disappeared and they all sighed in relief as they slid to the floor. Sailor Moon looked up to check on Rini, and a startled squeak left her when she saw her future daughter.

Gone was the little girl dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. In her place was a pint sized sailor scout, complete with a pink-skirted fuku and tall, knee high boots of the same color. A tiara with a pink jewel rested on her forehead, and a broach with a sparkling pink crystal was pinned to the bow on her chest.

In the room downstairs, a pair of blue eyes fluttered open and the golden haired woman sat up and looked around as her crystal prison shattered into a thousand pieces.

**A/N **So that's it for this time. Yay! No Wicked Lady! I know several of you begged me not to put her in, and I never had any intention of writing her into the story. I never liked the idea of her. I just never pictured Rini turning against her parents like that, she loves them too much. Diamond has been cured and now we have the final showdown with Wiseman. Neo Queen Serenity has finally woken her happy ass up. Will she get involved? Hmm…we'll see. Now I've gotta go shopping. I have to get shoes for my college graduation. It's only two days away. Yay! Catch you guys later!

~Sere~


	20. The End of One, The Beginning of Another

**A/N **Okay everyone! A million apologies to you all. I admit, I've been a naughty Sere-chan by neglecting my writing lately. I plead pure laziness. Summer has begun. There's no more school. And I have a new pool in my backyard. I've been an absolute bum.

On a sad note, I didn't realize it until I started editing this that this is the last chapter. I could have sworn that there was one more. But nope, this is it. The last chapter of this story has arrived.

So let me take the opportunity to thank everyone that has taken the time to read this and even bigger thanks to those that reviewed and let me know what they thought. So for one last time, let me give out my hugs to my reviewers for the last chapter. BIG GIANT BEAR HUGS TO:

**Atem's Sister Atea**

**silvermermaidprincesskerry**

**anime-lover 10**

**xo Usako ox**

**Chibi Kitt**

**Seredhiel05**

**tiny2008**

**ElisabethBoleyn**

**GoldenDragon326**

**S dot Serenity**

**x(dot)deyaws(dot)x**

**RainSummoner**

**Fedski**

**amaramichelle**

**chimichurri**

**CharmedSerenity3**

**ange de l'aube**

**invaderzimbabe92**

**rainbabie**

**awest999**

**jade2nightwing**

**Lilitu the Exile of Eden**

Thanks guys! You rock! I'm going to miss reading all of the little rants you have left me about this story. But I have other projects that I hope you will follow as well. I know a lot of you also followed Lunar Princess and are now reading Galactic Trinity, so I hope to continue hearing from you. I hope to update GT tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed.

Now I know you're interested to see how this ends up, so I'm going to shut up and let you get on with it.

_**ENJOY!**_

What If : A Sailor Moon R Twist

Chapter 20

The End of One, The Beginning of Another

"What happened?" Rini squealed as she twisted around, trying to get a good look at herself. "Why am I dressed up like a sailor scout? What's going on?"

"You've finally unlocked your powers Small Lady," Sailor Pluto told her. "It's been inside you all of this time, waiting for the right moment to show itself. It heard you when you wished for a way to help protect your family and friends."

Rini gulped. "So I'm really a sailor scout?"

"Indeed you are," Pluto said with a rare smile. "How could you not be when you have parents like yours?"

"Did you hear that, Serena?" the little pink scout shrieked as she ran to Sailor Moon and stopped to twirl in front of her, causing her short fuku skirt to flare around her. "I'm a sailor scout too, just like you."

"You sure are," Sailor Moon replied with a grin as she knelt down to get a good look at her future daughter. She took in the little crescent moons that dangled from the girl's earrings and the one that adorned her choker. "You're just like me, a little mini me, a…a mini moon! That's what you are, Sailor Mini Moon!"

"Cool!" the newly dubbed Sailor Mini Moon cried. "Does this mean I get to help you beat the bad guys now?"

A dark chuckle drew everyone's attention away from the little girl and reminded them of the fact that they weren't alone and still had an enemy to face. They turned to see that Wiseman had regained his footing and was now surveying them with eyes that glowed red in the depths of his hood.

"Do you think that the fact that the princess has become a sailor scout changes anything?" he growled. "It changes nothing. I still intend to take the Silver Crystal, and there's nothing any of you can do to stop me."

Sailor Moon and Darien, who at some point had transformed back into Tuxedo Mask, quickly shoved Mini Moon behind them in a protective gesture and glared at the cloaked and hooded figure with a mixture of hate and revulsion as they took defensive stances.

Wiseman cackled. "What makes you think that you could possibly pose a threat to me? I was able to defeat your future selves without any problems, and they were much more powerful than you pathetic children. You don't stand a chance."

The space between Wiseman and Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Mini Moon was suddenly blocked by eight very angry guardians. The scouts and generals strategically placed themselves between the royals they were sworn to protect and the one that posed a threat to them.

"Children?" Sailor Mars sneered. "Let's see how much of a child you think I am when I light your ass on fire."

"Sounds good to me," Jadeite said from beside her. "I say we double the fire power on him and really charbroil the son of a bitch."

"Pipe down, Pyro," Sailor Venus cautioned. "Don't go rushing in and doing anything rash."

"The same goes for you, Hothead," Kunzite agreed. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Bullshit!" Sailor Jupiter snarled. "I'm with the two flamethrowers. Let's fry this bastard."

"I'm with you," Nephrite said as the air around him began to crackle with electricity.

Sailor Mercury was rapidly punching keys on her computer. "I don't know guys. According to my readings there's only a 47% chance of…"

"Would you forget the statistics for once?" Zoicite interrupted her. "This scum needs an ass kicking."

Fury overrode her common sense, and she flipped her computer shut and clicked her earring to make her visor retreat. "You're right. He's an ass. Let's blast him."

"You guys, stop!" Sailor Moon cried in desperation. "This isn't the Silver Millennium. No one expects you to be the ones to stand between us and any evil that threatens us. I won't see you sacrifice yourselves just for the sake of our lives. It's not right for you to live only for us anymore. You were reborn to live your own lives, not to give it up for the sake of who we used to be."

"Can it, Serena!" Mars retorted. "Do you honestly think that we would stand aside and let Wiseman do anything that would endanger you, your soul mate, or your daughter? Get real!"

Sailor Venus felt like crying as she heard the impassioned words flow forth from her princess. "Do you think that the only reason we would try to protect you is because of who you used to be? Geez, and people call me a blonde!"

"Yeah, I feel insulted!" Jupiter grumbled, but in a teasing tone. "You're one of my best friends, and nobody picks on my friends without getting stomped."

"That's right!" the usually soft-spoken Mercury agreed emphatically. "It's not who you were or who you will be that fuels our actions. It's who you are now that we care about. You took four socially outcast girls and turned us into a tight band of friends. That's saying something."

"They're right," Tuxedo Mask whispered into the ear of the petite blonde next to him. "We were all drifting around aimlessly and alone until you came into our lives. Until I met you, Andrew was the only person I ever spoke to on a regular basis. You saved us all."

"That doesn't even include what you did for us," Kunzite said as the other generals stood next to him nodding their heads. "Our true selves would still be trapped inside those crystals if you hadn't freed us."

Sailor Moon felt tears prickle her eyes. "Thanks guys. You're all special to me, but I won't let anyone sacrifice themselves. We do this as a team, together."

Behind the band of heroes, the members of the Dark Moon clan watched them anxiously.

"Do you really think they can pull this off, Diamond?" Emerald asked in a worried tone.

The fair-haired prince put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "I don't know, Emmie. I sure hope they can. It would go a long way to righting some of the wrongs that I have committed."

Sapphire shook his head sadly. "I just don't see it happening. Yes, they have the power of the Silver Crystal behind them, but the Dark Crystal has grown so much by absorbing energy. I don't think they can defeat Wiseman, not in these infantile forms."

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you," a voice said from the shadows, making the eight people from Nemesis jump in surprise. They spun to find the transparent form of King Endymion also watching the scene before them with interest. His holographic blue eyes were almost glowing.

"Don't forget that I have already lived through these events," he continued, nodding his head toward where Tuxedo Mask was standing with the others. "Of course, as Sailor Pluto loves to remind me, nothing is ever set in stone and things can change. I just have to have faith that everything will unfold as it was meant to."

Diamond followed the path of the other man's eyes, and wasn't surprised to see that the king's gaze was fixed intently on Sailor Moon. "You believe in her," he said. It was a statement rather than a question.

Endymion tore his eyes away from the past form of his wife to look at the man who at one time thought to be his rival. "Of course I do. I always have. If it weren't for her and her generous heart, I wouldn't be where I am today. She always says that I am her rock, but in reality she is mine. Being king and ruling the planet has never been the driving force in my life. It has always been her. Having her and our daughter by my side has always been the most important thing to me."

Diamond watched as Endymion's face softened as he looked fondly at the small, pink clad sailor scout and felt a new respect for the monarch well up inside him. "I understand. You love them."

The king nodded slowly. "More than anything else in the world. They are my life." He suddenly gasped and a look of wonder crossed his face. "Serena," he whispered and faded from sight.

The members of the Dark Moon clan looked around at each other in surprise at Endymion's sudden disappearance. But before any of them could make a comment on it, Wiseman's booming voice echoed loudly.

"I hope you're done saying your goodbyes," he said. "The time has come for me to put an end to your pathetic little lives. Once the Silver Crystal has been combined with my Dark Crystal, the Dark Gate will be opened. With that source of unlimited power behind it, this planet will be reduced to nothing more than a dust cloud. After that, the entire universe will be at my mercy."

"We'll just see about that!" Sailor Moon snapped as she stepped forward to join the other scouts. "There's no way that I'm going to let you destroy this world. Not as long as I have breath left in my body."

An evil chuckle left Wiseman. "Then we need to rectify that situation, don't we, Serenity? I promise this won't hurt, at least not too much." He began gathering dark energy in preparation of launching an attack.

"Okay scouts!" Sailor Moon cried. "We've got to hit him with everything we've got. Are you with me?"

"Yes!" the four girls exclaimed together as they joined their leader and best friend.

"Then let's do this," Sailor Moon told them. "Moon Crystal Power!" she began glowing pink.

"Venus Star Power!" a flash orange light.

"Mars Star Power!" fiery red joined them.

"Jupiter Star Power!" deep green flared to life.

"Mercury Star Power!" icy blue entered the scene.

All five sailor scouts held their hands in front of them, pointing toward Wiseman. "Sailor Planet Attack!" The combined, rainbow colored energy sped toward the evil being and slammed into him with the force of a large explosion. The walls of the palace shook, knocking pictures to the floor and sending pieces of furniture toppling end over end.

Everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding flash of light until it faded to the point where they could see again. Then they looked up, expecting to find nothing but a pile of dust where Wiseman had been. But they all gaped in shock at the sight of the black-cloaked entity that was still standing unscathed before them. A wall of crackling, dark energy swirled in front of him.

Jadeite was the first to reclaim his voice. "There's no freaking way he's still standing after that. That's completely whacked!"

"I told you that you were no threat to me," Wiseman cackled. "Some all powerful guardians of Earth you are. You didn't even touch me."

"Great! What do we do now?" Venus muttered under her breath.

Sailor Moon reached up and wrapped her fingers around her broach. She felt the power of the Silver Crystal humming under her fingertips. She knew the others would throw a fit if she attempted to use the crystal against Wiseman. And to be honest, she wasn't sure if even that would be enough. She was still weak from healing Diamond, Emerald, and Sapphire, and the energy she had used for the Sailor Planet Attack had drained her even further. To try to unleash the crystal's power now would probably accomplish nothing except getting herself killed.

Any way you looked at it, it looked like they were severely screwed.

* * *

Neo Queen Serenity stepped lightly down the hall, her long white gown fluttering behind her in her wake. She paused at the bottom of the staircase and tilted her head as she listened to the familiar voices that were filtering down to her. She could picture the scene in her mind with perfect clarity as she recalled the memories from years ago when she had been the sixteen-year-old Sailor Moon and had faced off against the demented Wiseman.

She longed to go up there and help. Over the years she had developed a control over the Silver Crystal that even her past mother, Queen Serenity, never had. Even now, she could feel the energy of the crystal calling to her, begging to be reclaimed by its mistress. If she were to go up there and recover her crystal now, Wiseman wouldn't last two seconds.

But no matter how much she wished to put a speedy and tidy end to this drama, she knew that she couldn't interfere. She had made a promise to Sailor Pluto to not do anything that might jeopardize the timeline. That had been the price she had to pay to keep the memories of the time she had spent here as a teenager.

This battle was important in order for Sailor Moon to develop her powers further. If she were to intervene, it could have a serious impact on who she was now. Every trial and tribulation that she had gone through in her life, every enemy that she had faced, had shaped her into the queen that she had become. Not that she cared about being a ruler, but if she hadn't developed her powers to the point that she had, she would have never been able awaken the Earth in this century and all would have been lost forever.

She sighed and forced herself to walk away from the stairs. It was irritating to have to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. But a deal was a deal, and one did not cross Sailor Pluto. Not if you valued your life.

A small smile began to tug at her lips as she walked into the security room that was her husband's domain and took in the sight of the four women on the floor that were beginning to stir. If she was going to have to sit around and play the waiting game, she might as well have some company.

She giggled. "Are you lazy bones finally going to get up?"

"You're one to talk, Meatball Head!" Sailor Mars grouched as she glared up at her queen with snapping violet eyes. "You're the one that's been zonked out for the last two months while the rest of us have been exhausting ourselves trying to protect your sorry butt!"

Serenity pouted. "Come on, Raye! Haven't you missed me just the tiniest little bit?"

The fiery woman's face softened as she looked at her best friend. "Of course I have, Serena. Now help me up."

A big grin appeared on Serenity's face as she reached out a hand and helped Mars to her feet. Together they got Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury up as well.

The five women just stood there for a moment, smiling at each other with tears in their eyes before grabbing each other into a large group hug. They stayed that way for a minute, until a loud boom came from above them and the floor shook.

Sailor Venus pulled back and turned her china blue eyes toward the ceiling. "So it's begun?"

Serenity nodded sadly. "Yes. Rini and our past selves are facing Wiseman as we speak"

Mercury's head shot up and her hand twitched toward her pocket like she was longing to pull out her computer. "Just Wiseman? The Doom Phantom hasn't appeared yet?"

"It's just a matter of time," Serenity grumbled as the ground beneath them trembled again.

"Too bad we can't go up there and kick some ass," Jupiter growled as she cracked her knuckles. "This sucks!"

"Well on a lighter note," Serenity said as she walked over to one of the consoles and began pressing buttons. A concealed door in the nearby wall slid open. "How about we go see if we can rouse our sleeping hotties?"

"ABSOLUTELY!" was the combined answer from the scouts as they scurried to hurry after their queen who was rapidly descending the stairs to the secret chamber below.

Serenity sped by the four men that were laid out on the slabs that were there. She was vaguely aware of her best friends hurrying to their husbands' sides, calling out to them in frantic voices as they attempted to wake them from their long sleep. But her attention was focused on the slumbering king who was lying on a raised platform.

Her steps slowed as she approached him. She drank in the sight of him. As usual, his shiny midnight hair hung stubbornly down into his eyes, and she reached out to smooth it back with gentle fingers.

A small smile appeared on her face even though tears were shining in her eyes. After all of these years, he still had the ability to make her heart speed up just by being near her. Even when he was asleep, she couldn't help but admire his strong, masculine beauty.

But now she longed to look into his deep sapphire eyes and hear his husky, mesmerizing voice. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his in the softest of kisses.

The result was almost instantaneous. Her lips had barely brushed his when his hands came up to cup her cheeks. Her eyes flew open and she found herself drowning in the intense blue of the eyes that were staring back at her.

Then her heart positively melted as he gave her that familiar lopsided grin that she absolutely adored. "Good morning to you too, my love."

"Darien!" she choked out on a sob as she threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She felt him heave a sigh and then the wondrous feeling of security as he embraced her just as tight.

Endymion took a moment to savor the sensation of having his wife back in his arms where she belonged, awake and oh so wonderfully alive. Then he bent down to breath a whisper into her ear. "Honey, I'm home."

She reared back and gave him an incredulous look before she smacked him on the arm. "Don't you dare tease me right now, Darien Shields," she raged through her tears. "I am so not in the mood for it. If you give me a hard time, I swear I'll make you sleep on the couch."

He sat up and pulled her into his lap. "I'm sorry, Serena. I wasn't trying to pick on you, sweetheart. Honest I wasn't. Damn! It feels good to be back in my body again. I've missed you so much."

Serenity snuggled her head against his shoulder and snaked her arms around his neck, sniffling a little as she whispered, "I've missed you too."

"Looks like things are almost back to normal, huh Dare?" Jake called out from where he was sitting in a similar position with a recently detransformed Sailor Mars on his lap.

"You can say that again," Raye grumbled as she shot a disgusted look at Mina and Kyle. "Could you two please save the hanky panky for when you are alone? I'm going blind over here."

"Good grief, are they kissing or trying to eat each other's faces off?" Lita asked from where she sat in the protective circle of Nick's arms.

"It does look a little bit like cannibalism, doesn't it?" Nick replied. He chuckled when the hand that Kyle had at his wife's back flipped a middle finger in his general direction.

"Uh guys," interrupted the ever-sensible Amy. "I hate to be the party crasher here, but may I remind all of you that there is a pretty nasty fight going on about two floors above us that involves all of our past selves plus Rini."

Serenity shivered in Endymion's arms. "No, I don't need you to remind me of that Ames. I'm perfectly aware of what's going on. And trust me, I would like nothing better than to go and blast Wiseman before things get any worse. But we all promised Trista that we wouldn't interfere, no matter what."

Another massive blast rocked the palace, and all of the room's occupants looked at each other with worried expressions. Even Mina and Kyle pulled away from each other as the gravity of the situation set in.

The five reunited couples fell silent as they listened to the sounds of the battle that was raging above them. This was an important event in their history. If something went wrong, it could change every aspect of the lives they knew.

Endymion watched his wife's expression become more and more worried as the minutes passed and the sounds increased. When he saw a streak of red near her mouth, he realized that she was biting her lower lip so hard that she had drawn blood. Then an idea occurred to him.

He stood swiftly with Serenity in his arms before lowering her to her feet. She gave him a questioning look as he reached forward and tapped her injured lip with a golden glowing fingertip, healing the spot that she had ravaged with her tiny white teeth.

"Come on," he said then, grabbing her hand as he began walking toward the stairs that would take them up.

Serenity pulled back against him. "Darien! What are you doing? You know we can't interfere. We promised Trista we wouldn't. We can't show ourselves until the time is right."

He looked over his shoulder at her with a playful grin. "We may have promised to not get involved in the fight, but we never said that we wouldn't spy on it, did we?"

She thought about it for a second, and then a conspiratorial smile appeared on her lips. "No we didn't." Then she was dragging him behind her. "What are we waiting for? Hurry up! I want to see my baby kick some ass."

"Aww, honey," Endymion drawled. "I didn't know you still felt that way about me. I wouldn't mind getting another peek at those long legs of yours under that short skirt. You always wear long dresses nowadays."

She turned her head and stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't you dare talk to me about fashion. I still don't see why you got that tux made in that particular shade of purple. Aren't you afraid that some people might think you're fruity?"

Endymion gasped. "Fruit…fruity? You don't mean that do you, Serena? Serena…I thought you said you wanted me to wear something that wasn't black for a change…"

"Yep, definitely back to normal," Jake chuckled as the king and queen's voices drifted away up the stairs.

Kyle rubbed his temples. "Sometimes I find it amazing that they actually pull off ruling the world. Going to spy on a fight that they've already fought, that is such teenage behavior."

"Omigosh!" Mina shrieked. "They're going to eavesdrop on our past selves. I wanna go too!"

She scrambled out of Kyle's arms and flew toward the door. Not surprisingly, Raye, Lita, and Amy were right behind her.

The four guys sat there dumbfounded for a moment before dashing after their wives. "Hey! Wait for us!" they all cried together.

* * *

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Sailor Jupiter yelled as she launched a crackling ball of compressed lightning at Wiseman.

"Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" Sailor Mars called out at the same time and combined her attack with Jupiter's as it hurled toward the hooded man.

Just like with all of the other attacks that they had sent his way, Wiseman deflected it with a flick of his wrist, and sent the fire and lightning slamming into a wall where it blew out one of the windows and shattered a gaping hole in the solid crystal wall.

Jadeite let out a low whistle. "I sure hope Serenity and Endymion have good insurance on this place. It's going to need a major overhaul by the time we get done kicking this bastard's ass."

"You mean if we can kick his ass," Nephrite retorted. "So far we haven't been able to touch the son of a bitch. He's avoided every single thing that we've thrown at him."

"Everybody has a weak spot," Kunzite broke in. "We just have to find his."

Next to him, Sailor Venus was panting. "I just hope Mercury and Zoicite can come up with something soon. If we keep this up we're all going to drop." She spun around quickly and shouted, "Venus Love Chain Encircle!" Her whip of golden hearts shot out to intercept a blast of dark energy that had been sent by Wiseman toward Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Mini Moon.

The arguing couple with the little girl between them didn't even appear to notice that they had been just seconds away from being toast. They were too busy screaming and glaring at one another.

"I said no, Serena," Tuxedo Mask said in a deadly voice. "You're not going to use the Silver Crystal against him. You shouldn't even be here as it is. You've barely got the energy to stand, much less use the crystal. You got lucky when you fought Beryl and didn't die, but this time your luck may run out. I'll be damned if I stand by and watch you kill yourself."

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury called out from nearby as she shot out a jet of freezing water to protect them from yet another attack. "Uh guys, do you think the two of you could stop fighting and help us out a little?"

Sailor Moon heard her and was also aware of the fact that the others were busy around them, fighting valiantly against Wiseman. But she ignored the question from Mercury as she raked her furious blue eyes over her boyfriend.

"What other choice have I got, Darien?" she screamed at him. "I don't see any other way to beat him. He's too strong. If you have some other idea about how to get rid of him, I would be thrilled to hear it."

"Stop it!" a shrill voice told both of them suddenly, and they glanced down into the red face of their future daughter. "Both of you stop it, right now! You're both acting stupid! My mommy and daddy wouldn't be fighting with each other right now. They would be working together to find a way to beat this bad man so that everything can go back to normal."

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask both froze at her words as they remembered the conversations that they'd had with King Endymion since they had arrived here. Endymion had stressed to both of them on more than one occasion the importance of them standing together as a united front and not letting anything come between them. Now here they were squabbling like a couple of kindergarteners on the playground fighting over a swing.

Sailor Moon looked up into the ocean blue eyes behind the mask in front of her and felt tears begin to prickle in her own. "She's right," she whispered. "She's absolutely right. Here we are in the middle of a battle, and we're arguing with each other. What are we doing?"

Tuxedo Mask looked just as contrite. "I'm sorry, Serena. I'm just scared that you will get hurt. But I know that you are the key to winning this fight. I have no right to try to stop you from using your power. You're the only one who can beat him."

She placed her hand on his cheek. "I can't do it alone. I'm going to need everyone behind me if we have a hope of taking him down. If we all work together, I think we can win without any casualties."

Sailor Pluto, who had been present but somewhat removed from the fighting, made her way over to a curtained off alcove. When she reached the heavy drape, she whispered, "Are you enjoying the show, your majesties?"

There was a muffled squeak, followed by Serenity's indignant whisper, "How did you know we were here?…V-babe, get your elbow out of my ear…So much for a covert operation."

Pluto chuckled to herself at the antics of her queen, king, and their court. Did they honestly think that they could slip anything past her? She could see the future after all.

"Enough!" Wiseman's voice boomed out. "This has gone on long enough. I want that crystal, and I want it now!" He directed a powerful blast of dark energy at Sailor Mini Moon.

Sailor Pluto heard a scuffle behind the curtain and could picture in her mind the scouts and generals behind it, physically restraining Serenity and Endymion from rushing out to protect their daughter. She kept her magenta gaze fixed on the past forms of her monarchs and held her breath. This was a defining moment that would shape them into the people that they would be for the rest of their lives.

Sailor Moon and Mini Moon both screamed as Sailor Moon snatched the little girl up into her arms in a protective embrace while Tuxedo Mask threw himself in front of them with a shout. Just before the attack was about to slam into them, there was a flash of swirling silver and gold light.

As the light died down, Pluto grinned at the sight in front of her. This was what she had been waiting for. Events were unfolding exactly as they were supposed to. It no longer mattered what Wiseman or that damned crystal of his tried to pull now, he was dead.

Gasps were heard from the scouts and generals, as they also took in the sight before them in open-mouthed shock.

"Serenity!" the scouts sighed while the generals whispered, "Endymion!"

Sure enough, in the place that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask had stood only moments before now stood Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion. Between the two of them stood Rini in her full princess form. She wore a dress that was identical to Serenity's and had a glowing crescent moon on her forehead.

The young princess also cradled a crystal in front of her, one that everyone there realized must be the missing Silver Crystal that she had been carrying within her all of this time.

"This isn't possible," Wiseman snarled as he stared down the three royals in front of him with his glowing red eyes. "You will not beat me! I will not allow it! Dark Crystal, hear my plea! Bless me, your humble servant, with the power that I need to defeat these adversaries so that I may restore you to your former glory."

In response to his impassioned plea, the very earth began to tremble. On the outskirts of the city, the dark crystal fortress that had been the Dark Moon family's stronghold splintered into a million pieces as the Dark Crystal reacted to the one that had served it for so many years. Once the dark palace had been reduced to nothing but rubble, the large crystal rose up into the darkened sky as storm clouds rolled in, thunder roared, and lightning streaked across, reaching its eerie fingers toward the Crystal Palace.

"Yes!" Wiseman hissed as he felt the reaction of the crystal that had been his salvation in life. "I am yours to command, oh great crystal. Help me beat the ones that stand in our way so that you may live once again."

'_Thank you, my loyal friend,'_ the crystal spoke to him. _'The hour of our triumph has finally arrived. Now, to ensure our success, I bestow upon you all of my power. We will regain my missing half, and then the universe will bow to us.'_

Shouts of alarm were heard from the band of heroes inside the Crystal Palace as they saw the gigantic Dark Crystal rising into the sky.

"That's the Dark Crystal?" several of them gasped.

"Yes," Diamond confirmed from where he and his family had been watching the fight. They had tried to join in, but had quickly learned that Wiseman was more powerful than they could have ever imagined and had fallen back to let the real fighters have a shot at him.

"Aw, man!" Jadeite complained. "That isn't fair! We are so fu…OW!" he rubbed his ribs where Mars had just jammed her elbow into them.

"Don't even finish that sentence," the fiery scout growled. "I've met your mother and I know she taught you better manners than that."

"Darien, what do we do now?" Princess Serenity asked as she watched in horror as a large amount of negative energy came from the Dark Crystal to surround Wiseman.

Endymion turned to her with a cocky grin. "We beat him, of course. I don't care how big his crystal is, we outnumber him. There's no way he can beat us if we all join our powers together. This won't be like when you had to face Beryl alone. We're all here with you this time."

"That's right," Venus said as she laid a hand on her princess's shoulder. "Our power is yours when you need it." Behind her, the other scouts and generals nodded their agreement.

Serenity stiffened her spine and a determined look appeared on her face. "Okay then, let's do this. We'll show this creep that he should know better than to come down here and mess with our planet. He's moondust!"

A dark chuckle came from Wiseman as the cloud of energy around him disappeared, as did the Dark Crystal itself. "Brave words, Serenity, but it's useless. The power of the Silver Crystal doesn't stand a chance against the Dark Crystal."

"That's what you think, Wiseman!" she retorted. "You've tried to destroy both our present and our future, and for that you must pay. Prepare yourself for a major ass kicking!"

"You, beat me? HA!" he boomed. "Give it your best shot little girl. I have fully fused with power of the Dark Crystal. Wiseman is no more. You may call me Doom Phantom."

Mercury, as always, had her computer out and was quickly scanning the results that were flitting across the screen. "It's true. According to my readings it appears that he has been taken over by another entity. It's almost as if the Dark Crystal is sentient and is possessing him."

"Great," Serenity grumbled. "What is it with these whackos letting themselves get possessed by evil spirits? Beryl pulled the same crap at the end when she absorbed Metallia. Well, here goes nothing." She summoned the Silver Crystal into her waiting hands.

"Rini," Endymion said quickly as he dropped down to one knee so that he was eye level with the little girl. "I want you to take that crystal and go find a safe place to hide, okay."

Rini shook her head violently. "No! I want to help."

He sighed deeply. "The best way you can help us right now is keeping yourself safe. It will be too much of a distraction for us if we have to worry about you too."

"But…" she began.

"No buts," he interrupted her, using the sternest voice he'd ever had to use on her. "Don't make me say it again, Rini. Go!"

The little girl shot him a wide-eyed look before she scampered away, but she didn't go far. The moment he turned his attention back to the fight, she ducked behind a pillar so that she would be able to watch.

The Doom Phantom loomed up in front of the band of heroes. "Are you ready to die now?"

"Are you?" Serenity shot back, her voice dripping with malice. "This ends now, Doom Phantom. Moon Crystal Power!" A wide beam of silver energy erupted from the crystal in her palms.

"Your crystal's power can't possibly rival mine," the Doom Phantom growled. "Now have a taste of true power!" A ball of crackling black energy appeared in his hands and a stream of it shot forward to collide with the energy from the Silver Crystal with a deafening boom.

Serenity staggered back from the impact and would have fallen to the floor if Endymion hadn't been right behind her. He placed his arms around her and cupped her already trembling hands with his, hoping to lend her the strength she needed to see this through.

"I'm right here with you," he whispered into her ear. "We're all here for you. Now beat this guy so we can go home."

She wanted to turn and smile at him, but didn't dare take her attention away from the Doom Phantom even for a second. It was taking everything that she had in her to even remain standing. The amount of power coming from her enemy was intense, easily twice as strong as anything Beryl could have thrown at her. She didn't want to admit it, but she was rapidly losing hope that this would turn out to be a victory.

'_I'm so tired,' _she thought miserably as she felt herself sag even further into her prince's arms. _'What was I thinking? There's no way I can do this.'_

Not far away, a pair of maroon eyes was watching her intently. _'Oh no, Serena's in trouble. What can I do? Think Rini, think. There has to be some way that I can help.'_

She clenched her little fist in frustration, and then paused as she felt something small and hard in her hand. She opened her fist to stare at the innocent looking crystal in her palm.

'_Mommy's Silver Crystal. Maybe it could help.'_

"Please, Silver Crystal," she whispered softly. "I know you made me a sailor scout and all, but do you think you can help me to fight with the others? They need help, and two Silver Crystals have got to be better than one."

The Silver Crystal flared to life in her hand, and she felt a tiny thrill rush through her as its power flowed through her veins. A big smile appeared on her face as she rushed out from her hiding place and ran back to where the others were. Standing proudly next to the younger versions of her parents, she lifted the crystal above her head.

"You wouldn't dare use both Silver Crystals against me!" the Doom Phantom bellowed.

"Rini!" both Serenity and Endymion gasped as they looked quickly over to their future daughter.

"Rini, what are you doing?" Endymion demanded. "You can't use that crystal!"

"I have to, Darien!" the pink haired princess insisted. "You all risked your lives to protect me. I can help fight too. Let me help, please."

He looked down into the little face that reminded him so much of Serena's. The same fierce determination he had seen in Serena now burned in the eyes of the girl that would one day be his daughter.

He nodded gently. "You're right. We have to hit him with everything we can."

Rini grinned at him and then caught Serenity's eye for a moment. She could have sworn that the older girl had winked conspiratorially at her before turning her focus back to the task at hand.

Feeling bolstered, she cried, "Moon Crystal Power!" and sent a second beam of silver energy to join the first in trying to overcome the Doom Phantom's attack.

Although she felt exhausted, Serenity couldn't help but feel a new hope blossom in her as the power from the second Silver Crystal joined hers and she felt the dark energy being pushed back just a little. They just might be able to pull this off after all.

"Are you ready scouts?" she called out to her friends.

In a flash, the sailor scouts each began to glow with the color of their respective planet as they called upon their planet powers to aid their princess.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power!"

In addition to the scout's powers, the generals also began glowing in a mixture of Earth's gold energy and the color of the planet they were most closely connected to as they joined their powers in as well to assist.

Endymion glowed bright gold as he fed his own energy into the crystal. Serenity and Rini both felt the swirling planet powers flow through them and used them to intensify their attack.

"You ready to do this kiddo?" Serenity asked her sidekick.

Rini nodded seriously. "I want him to go away forever and ever."

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!" they both cried as they took every bit of energy that they could and sent it flying toward the Doom Phantom.

"You can't beat me," he insisted. "I am one of the most powerful beings in the universe…AHH!" he screamed as he was enveloped in the light energy from the Silver Crystals. Within seconds the horrible sound faded away and his body vanished in a puff of smoke.

Serenity sighed in relief as she finally gave into the darkness that had been pulling at her and collapsed into Endymion's arms.

The reincarnated prince was startled when he felt her body go completely limp and she began to fall. He scooped her up as quickly as he could and then laid her gently on the ground, cradling her upper body in his arms. Her transformation faded back to Sailor Moon and then back into Serena. He felt his armor melt away and then his jeans and t-shirt took the place of his tuxedo. But he took little notice of this.

"Serena!" he cried frantically. "Serena! Wake up, please!"

He was scared to death. Had she overdone it? Using the crystal took so much out of her. And that had been a massive amount of energy that she had just sent through it. Had the Silver Crystal finally resulted in her death the way it had Queen Serenity? The thought turned his blood cold.

"Rini!" he heard an anxious voice calling out, and he ripped his attention away from Serena long enough to see the unconscious little girl that Sailor Mars was holding on her lap. The tiny body was just as limp and lifeless looking as Serena's.

"They're both okay, just severely depleted," Mercury hastened to assure everyone. "They should be fine once they've had a chance to rest up a little."

Darien sighed in relief and buried his face in Serena's hair as he held her close. He didn't even want to imagine what his life would be like without her in it. He loosened his grip a moment later when he felt her stir in his arms.

She blinked open her hazy blue eyes to look at him blearily. "Did we get him?" she whispered softly.

He forced a smile to his face. "Yeah, we got him. You scared about twenty years off my life, but he's gone."

She closed her eyes again for a moment and then opened them once more. "Rini?' she asked, her voice barely able to be heard.

"She'll be fine," he reassured her. "She's tired out, just like you, but Amy said she'll be okay."

She began struggling weakly in his arms to sit up. "I need…to see her," she insisted breathlessly.

"Okay, okay, just take it easy," Darien told her as he adjusted his grip so that she was sitting up in his arms. He scooted them over a couple of feet until they were beside her.

Serena reached out an unsteady hand and laid it on one of the pink pigtails. "She sure is one spunky little scrapper," she sighed.

Darien chuckled a little at that. "I wonder where she gets that from, because she sure didn't get it from me."

The little girl in question let out a tiny whimper and began stirring in Mars's arms. A few moments later her eyes blinked open. "Hey everyone. I guess we beat the bad guy, huh?"

Serena felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "We sure did. You were great, Rini."

Rini began to grin sheepishly, but then her expression changed. Her eyes grew impossibly wide and filled with tears. "Mommy, Daddy."

At first Serena thought that Rini was staring at her and Darien. But then she realized that she was looking past them at something behind them. She turned to look over Darien's shoulder, and then she gasped in shock.

Neo Queen Serenity stood there in her long white gown, tears streaming down her face as she gazed upon her daughter. At her side, looking a little misty eyed himself, stood King Endymion.

"My baby!" the queen suddenly squealed and rushed over to them. She fell to her knees and gathered Rini up into her arms before hugging her tightly and peppering her face with tiny kisses.

Endymion sighed as he joined them. "Sere, you might want to let up a little and let her breathe. She's turning blue in the face."

Serenity stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up, Darien! I can't help it if I missed my little girl so much." But she did loosen her hold on the girl.

"Daddy!" Rini shrieked with suddenly renewed energy as she threw herself into her father's arms and hugged him tightly around the neck before laying a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"Oh wow! This is just too weird," Serena whispered as she watched her future self that was barely two feet away from her.

Serenity heard her and turned to face her past self. Before Serena realized what was happening, Serenity had pulled both her and Darien into a giant hug.

"Thank you so much for keeping an eye on Rini," the queen said to both of them. "I know it may seem strange that I am thanking my own self, but I just had to let you know how much I appreciated it."

"Hm hm," Sailor Pluto cleared her throat as she stepped forward. "Your majesty."

Serenity released them with a sigh. "I know, Trista, limited contact. But I had to thank them for everything they've done." She turned to look at all of them from the past. "All of you have done a phenomenal job, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You really are the best friends in the world."

"There she goes again. Put a lid on it, Meatball Head!" a voice called out.

They all turned to see eight people that were watching the reunion of the little princess and her parents with varying degrees of amusement. Mina stood next to Kyle with her head on his shoulder. Lita had her arms wrapped around Nick's arm as she held it close. Amy and Zack were beside them with their fingers intertwined. And Raye stood in the circle of Jake's arms.

"Can it, Pyro!" Serenity shot back in Raye's direction.

Pluto pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Does no one ever listen to me? Did the words stay out of sight not compute with any of you? I though I said it in fluent Japanese, not some other language. So what part did you not understand?"

The four future generals began backing toward the stairs under the weight of the glare Pluto sent them. They all pointed their fingers at their wives and cried, "They made us do it!" before turning and scurrying down the stairs.

The future scouts all gasped in outrage. "We did not! Get back here!" And then they were all gone in a blur to chase after the guys.

Serenity sighed and shook her head. "Honestly, sometimes this place feels more like a daycare than it does a palace."

Endymion nodded in agreement. "Sad but true."

The younger versions of the scouts and generals all stood in silent shock as they tried to comprehend the interaction that they had just witnessed between their future selves.

Then Jadeite smirked. "Damn! For such an old guy, I'm still F-I-N-E!" He struck a pose and then grinned at Mars. "You weren't too bad lookin' yourself, baby!"

Sailor Mars rolled her eyes at him. "You are such a pervert!"

Serenity giggled. "Ah! Some things never change." Then she sighed as Pluto let out a discreet cough. "As much as I would love to sit around and chat, I'm afraid my time warden over here won't allow it. Too much of a chance of messing up the events of the past that could influence the future."

She reached over and plucked her Silver Crystal from Rini's fingers. "I think I'll take that back now young lady. I have some work to do to get things back to normal and our visitors need to return to their own time. It's time for us to say our goodbyes."

Rini's lower lip trembled as she stared at Serena and Darien. "You mean they have to go now?"

"I'm afraid so, Small Lady," Pluto told her. "They belong back in their time while you belong here in yours."

"But…but…" the girl stammered before bursting into tears.

"Oh Rini!" Serena cried as she scrambled off of Darien's lap and took her future daughter from Endymion's arms to pull her into her own. "Sweetie, don't cry. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

She gestured to Serenity and Endymion. "See, you already have us here with you. So there's no sense in you getting so upset."

"But it won't be the same!" Rini threw back her head and wailed. "I'll still miss you."

"Aw, munchkin, we'll miss you too," Darien said as he ruffled her pink hair. "But like Pluto said, you belong here with your parents and we have to go back to our lives. Now be the strong little sailor scout that I know you can be."

She fought back her sniffles and raised her chin. "Okay, Darien. I'll be strong."

He grinned at her. "Thatta girl." Then he flicked his wrist to produce a perfect, tiny red rosebud and presented it to her.

Rini took the flower with a teary smile and then turned to the scouts and generals. "Thanks for everything, you guys. I'm going to miss you too."

Each of the generals came forward one by one to kneel in front of the young princess and place a kiss on the back of her hand. It was an old tradition that had been ingrained in them in the Silver Millennium that showed the utmost respect and affection to a female member of the royal family.

Then the scouts surrounded her, all of them with wet eyes and cheeks.

"Behave yourself and try not to get into too much trouble," Jupiter said gruffly.

"Study hard and learn as much as you can," Mercury counseled wisely.

Mars tried to sound brusque. "Don't let your Meatball Headed mom give you a hard time."

Venus grinned from ear to ear. "In a few years when you're a little older, go hook up with my future self. I'm sure she'll be happy to take you hot guy hunting."

"Mina!" everyone scolded.

Serena pulled her future daughter into her arms for one last hug. "I guess I'll see you in the future," she whispered to her.

"Sooner than you think," Serenity muttered under her breath, ignoring the glare that Pluto shot her way.

Endymion approached Darien and held out a hand to him. Darien gripped it, feeling very strange about shaking hands with himself.

"Take good care of her," Endymion said in a low voice.

"I will," Darien replied just as quietly.

Serenity and Serena just stood there staring at each other for a moment before suddenly hugging each other tightly.

Serenity finally let go of her past self and waved a dismissive hand to try to cover her tears. "Okay, go. Live life and have fun."

Sailor Pluto waved her staff and a portal appeared. She motioned for everyone to step through.

Darien laid a gentle hand on Serena's arm. "Come on, Sere. We have to go now."

She allowed him to lead her to the portal, but she kept her head turned, watching Serenity, Endymion, and Rini until they faded from sight.

Serenity sighed as the portal closed. "Live our life well, Serena. You're living it for both of us."

Endymion wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. "We did it, sweetheart. At times I thought that this nightmare would never end, but in the end we pulled it off."

Serenity stooped and picked up a yawning Rini. "With a little help from a special little girl. Now I think it's time that somebody had a nap. You've had a long day."

Then the queen turned her attention to the Dark Moon family that were still present and had been watching silently. "Prince Diamond, I would appreciate it if you stayed around for a while. I have some other business to attend to first, but I would like to renew our meeting about Nemesis joining the Crystal Alliance."

Diamond was stunned. "Your majesty! Even after all that has transpired between us, you would still consider the possibility of allowing my planet to become allies with yours?"

Serenity smiled benevolently. "What happened between us is in the past. Remember, in my mind I forgave you for all of this a thousand years ago. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go tuck this little one in."

Diamond inclined his head to her. "Of course. We will be at your disposal when you are ready for us."

The royal family walked away from them then, and Endymion chuckled as he leaned down to whisper into his wife's ear, "You really are amazing."

Serenity looked up at him, eyes twinkling. "No, my love. We are amazing. Now why don't you help a girl out and take your daughter. I really think this kid's put on some weight while she's been gone."

Endymion reached eagerly for Rini, who was now dozing on her mother's shoulder, and felt a deep feeling of contentment wash over him. He finally had his family back with him, and all was well.

* * *

A tall, slender woman with short, sandy blonde hair basked in the afternoon sun as she sprawled out on the pristine white sand of the secluded beach. Not too far away from her, a slightly younger woman with chin length violet black hair sat in front of an easel.

"How much longer do you think we'll have to stay here, Amara?" the younger of the two asked the blonde.

Amara sighed and slid her sunglasses down to better see her questioner. "Beats me, Hotaru. I still don't see why we had to take off when we did. I would have loved to stick around and join the fight."

"You know exactly why we had too," a third woman admonished her as she came wading out of the surf, her dripping aqua colored hair hanging down to her shoulder blades. "Serena and the others from the past haven't met us yet. It would have given away too much about their futures if they had discovered us now. Besides, Trista set us up with this nice vacation."

Amara snorted. "Right Michelle, some vacation. We're hiding out in America in the year 1972. The people are rude, their cars are crap, and I have yet to find anything decent worth listening to on the radio."

"Poor baby," Michelle cooed as she sat down on a towel next to her frustrated lover. "Would you like me to play for you? I brought my violin."

"No," Amara growled. "I'm just ready to go home. This waiting is driving me insane. There's no telling what kind of trouble Moon Face has gotten herself into without us there. Nothing against the Inner Scouts, but I would have felt better if the had let us stay behind. Darien might be king, but he's just so pathetically…male."

"Now Amara," Hotaru chastised. "Not all men are bad. Just because there are a few rotten apples doesn't mean that they are all that way."

"Humph! Just wait. You'll find out someday," Amara cautioned her. "Don't think I haven't heard about your little escapades with Sammy Tsukino. He'll show his true maleness someday. By the way, does the queen know that you are dating her brother?"

The usually formidable scout of silence turned an alarming shade of red as she bent her head down and muttered a few incoherent words. She was saved from further embarrassment by the arrival of Sailor Pluto, accompanied by her usual puff of smoke.

She grinned as she surveyed her fellow outer scouts. "So, are we having a good time?"

"No," Amara snarled. "We are not having a good time. We have been stuck here for like two months and we're ready to go home. So you better be here to tell us that the coast is clear, or I swear I'm going to have a major meltdown."

Michelle put a hand gently over the fuming woman's mouth. "Don't pay any attention to her, Trista. I think she's PMSing."

Amara reared back with a look of disbelief on her face. "I most certainly am not suffering from PMS, thank you very much!"

"Anyhow!" Hotaru broke in, trying to stop the lover's spat before it got anymore heated. "How are things going in Crystal Tokyo? Is everything okay?"

Pluto grinned at them. "They're more than okay. The Doom Phantom and The Dark Crystal have been defeated and things have returned to the way they should be. The queen is anxious, however, to have her complete court reunited. So I have come to fetch you home."

"Finally!" Amara exclaimed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Hmm hmm," Pluto cleared her throat. "Don't you think you should take a moment to change into something more presentable than your beachwear before you greet your queen?

Amara glanced down at her baggy shorts and t-shirt before flushing in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah. I guess you're right. Can it, you two!" she yelled the last part of this at Michelle and Hotaru, who were giggling at her moment of inadequacy.

Amara ignored them and pulled a henshin rod from her pocket before holding it up and crying, "Uranus Eternal Power!"

She was followed seconds later by the calls of "Neptune Eternal Power!" and "Saturn Eternal Power!"

When the flashes of yellow, aqua, and purple light, along with the swirling ribbons had faded, the three guardian scouts of the outer solar system were revealed.

"Okay! Can we go now?" Uranus asked in a pleading tone.

Pluto waved her staff and a portal opened. "Be my guests."

* * *

_**From the Diary of Serena Tsukino**_

Dear Diary –

I know I haven't written a lot down lately, and I feel a little guilty for that. But things have been so crazy lately that I just haven't found the time.

It's been five months since my friends and I returned from Crystal Tokyo, and I have to say, life has been good. I had a great summer hanging out with everybody; of course it ended way too soon for my liking.

I've now started my junior year of high school along with Raye, Mina, Lita, and Amy. Darien and Andrew are both seniors now, and I'm happy for them. But next year will be so boring without them there. The seven of us eat lunch together everyday, and it helps break the monotony of going to class.

Andrew's still dating Rita, and they're doing good. But, and I feel a little bad about saying this, she doesn't go to our school and I'm glad. I get such a blast out of watching Mina and Lita flirt with Andrew. It's all in good fun though, but Drew is so cute when he gets flustered.

The guys and the girls have finally settled down together, and I think that everything is going to work our all right between them. Thank heaven for that! There for a while I thought I was going to have to shoot them all.

Mina and Kyle are almost disgustingly sweet together. I never thought that I could get tired of seeing a couple kissing, but now I can officially say that I have. Every time I turn around it seems like they're sticking their tongues down each other's throats.

Amy and Zack are our quiet ones, but anyone can see the love between them. I think it's so adorable the way they hold each other's hands sometimes and the way they stare into one another's eyes when they think no one is looking.

Lita and Nick are pretty tight. Of course they're both pretty physical people and they do have a few spats from time to time. But it's never anything serious. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and Chef Lita definitely has the market on that.

Raye and Jake…oh boy, what can I say about them. Well, their lives are never boring. Jake is always such a jokester and he keeps all of us in stitches. But Raye, being the serious person that she is has a hard time seeing his humor. But I've seen signs that she's starting to loosen up some. I think he was just what she needed.

As for me and Darien…omigosh…it's perfect! I can honestly say that I have never been more closely connected to anyone in my life. He is truly the prince of my heart. I don't see how our relationship could possibly be any better.

Yes, I, Serena Tsukino, am in a completely committed relationship in every sense of the word. We're talking the whole nine yards. Goodbye virginity!

It happened back in the spring, right after we got back from Crystal Tokyo. I have to say that I was quite surprised that he took the initiative. I had thought that I was going to have to jump him or something after the way he had been acting. But he had the whole thing planned out.

He took me out to a wonderful dinner and then we went dancing for a while. Then we went back to his place where he had candles and rose petals everywhere. It was very romantic. He was lucky that I'd had a similar idea about the way our night was going to go and had enlisted Mina's help so that I would have an alibi.

I won't say that the first time was perfect, there was a lot of uncertainty on both sides, and I admit that it hurt quite a bit. But Darien was so sweet and gentle the entire time, and things have only gotten better since then.

Anyway, that's all that's recently happened in my life. Everything is peaceful. There have been no more enemies, and all is quiet. It seems that I finally got my wish to have a normal life. After seeing the future, I know it won't always be that way, but at least for now I can concentrate on just being me. No more Sailor Moon having to rush out in the middle of the night to face the bad guys. Life is good.

I better go now. Darien and I have a date tonight, and he should be here any minute.

_**End Diary Entry**_

Serena closed her journal and crawled up on her desk chair so that she could hide the book in the top of her closet where her little brother Sammy would never find it. The last thing she needed was that little maggot learning all of the secrets that she had recorded in there.

Just as she was hopping down she heard the doorbell ring, and she scrambled to slide on her shoes and grab her purse as her mother called up the stairs, "Serena! Darien's here!"

She checked herself one last time in the mirror. Satisfied with what she saw, she hurried down the stairs to greet her prince.

And, of course, she tripped. But just like always, he was there to catch her. She took his arm and called goodbye to her mom as she hurried Darien out the door to get him away from the death glares that her father was sending at him. Ilene had finally cowed him into accepting the fact that their daughter was a young woman, but he still didn't like it.

"What do you say we take a stroll through the park before we grab dinner?" Darien asked as they walked down the street.

Serena smiled up at him. "Sounds good to me. Maybe we can catch the sunset at the lake."

Serena looked around at all of the happy people that she saw as they strolled through the park arm in arm. Molly and Melvin were under a tree enjoying a picnic. She even saw Miss Haruna, with what must be her latest boyfriend, sitting on a bench as they talked quietly together. Good, maybe the woman would be in a good mood on Monday when Serena had her English class.

Then Serena saw another couple, one that she had recently met. She and Mina had mistaken the tall, sandy haired Amara for a guy when they first met her, but had found out later that she was in fact a woman. Right now she was walking down one of the paths with the graceful Michelle at her side.

"_They look so good together,'_ Serena thought to herself. The two women had introduced themselves as being cousins, but Serena and her gang had other ideas about their relationship.

Lost in thought, Serena didn't even realize that they had reached the lake until she heard Darien say quietly, "Here we are."

She looked up and realized that they were standing on one of the docks. The same dock, as a matter of fact, that they had stood on months ago when they had kissed for the first time after the whole Beryl incident and when she had been suffering from her memory loss.

Serena grinned when she thought about that day. It was also the day that a little pink haired girl from the future had fallen from the sky to literally land right on top of them.

Darien saw her grin and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

She looked up at his wonderfully blue eyes and whispered, "Rini. This is where we were when we first met her. God, I thought she was a psycho."

Darien chuckled. "Yeah, she did kinda give that impression, didn't she? If only we'd known then what we know now."

"I wonder how she's doing," Serena said softly. "I think about her a lot."

"Yeah, me too," Darien agreed quietly. "But I'm sure she's fine. She's got our future selves to look out for her."

"Mmm hmm," Serena mumbled as she watched the sun beginning to sink behind the horizon. After a moment of silence she turned to find Darien looking at her with intense eyes.

"Darien," she breathed as her head began to slowly descend toward hers.

"Serena," he responded right before his lips took control of hers.

She lost herself in the sensation of his kiss, reveling in the feel of his body against hers and his silky hair between her fingers. She was about to break the kiss and suggest that they go to his place and stay in for the night when the unexpected happened.

For the second time in her life, Serena found herself jerked out of Darien's arms as something came crashing down on her head so hard that she saw stars. Feeling pretty sure her neck was broken, she sat up to find the last thing she ever expected.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," said the little pink haired girl that was now sitting on Darien's lap. "I thought for sure that I was going to have to come and find you two, but here you are."

"Rini!" Serena screeched in disbelief. "What in the world are you doing here? There's not more trouble in the future, is there?"

"No. Everything's great," Rini hurried to say. "It's just that now that I'm a sailor scout, Mommy said that I needed to be trained. She told me that she thought it was best if I came back here and trained with you guys for a while. She wrote you a letter."

Rini handed her an envelope, and Serena opened it to find a letter addressed to her in her own handwriting. She scanned over it quickly before turning to Darien with a bewildered look. "She's right. Neo Queen Serenity wants her to stay with us for a while and for us to help her learn her scout powers. This is unbelievable. I don't know what to think."

Poor Serena. If she only knew that a new threat was coming. Little did she know that in less than forty eight hours, Sailor Moon would be called to duty once more to face the biggest threat that had come their way yet. Forget Metallia. Forget the Doom Phantom. This would be much worse.

But that is a different story.

**THE END**

**A/N **So there you have it. My wacky retelling of the R season is complete. I know some of you are probably wondering whether or not I'm going to do any of the other seasons, and I have to admit that I've thought about it. I have a few ideas rattling around in my head about going back and doing the first season, and I've recently begun thinking about doing the S season. So if any of you are interested in it or have any suggestions about what you might like to see, let me know. I'm always open for your ideas. And I'll also be waiting on the edge of my seat to hear what you think about how this season ended, so make me smile and leave me reviews. Thanks for the ride! I love ya guys! Catch ya later!

Your Humble Author

~Sere-chan~


End file.
